Master P spoke out after Google used his photo in an online biography of the late Luther Vandross.
On Sunday, TMZ chatted with the 53-year-old about his and Snoop Dogg’s latest food venture and the viral photo mishap from the billion-dollar tech company.
“I know everybody tripping. Google thought it was funny. Mixing me up. I get it,” the New Orleans native said outside a local Walmart while promoting his new breakfast brand, Snoop cereal.
“This is the picture, Google. Stop letting AI run your company. This should have been a picture of Captain Ace; I look more like Captain Ace,” he said as he held up a box of the breakfast cereal and pointed to a character on it.
Twitter users noticed the error and called out Google for continuing an apparent trend of companies and news outlets mixing up Black celebrities — even if the two look nothing alike.
“Why when you google luther vandross…a picture of master p pops up instead of luther?! @Google explain yourself now.. hahaha,” one user said.
why when you google luther vandross…a picture of master p pops up instead of luther?! 😂😂😂😂 @Google explain yourself now.. hahaha. pic.twitter.com/KApFsWDUPx
— “UNCLE” CR∆IG MCFLY (@UncleMcFly) July 5, 2023
“Oh I’m dead…. who and why are they saying Master P is Luther Vandross?” another user wrote with laughing emoji.
Oh I’m dead…. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 who and why are they saying Master P is Luther Vandross? pic.twitter.com/FKJ7gfRpjw
— Polena Ngwanaka (@nthephak) July 6, 2023
“Whoever the person is that’s supposed to be keep their eye on Google images is getting fired. They know that Master P [is] not Luther Vandross,” a third user tweeted with laughing emoji.
Whoever the person is that’s supposed to be keep their eye on Google images is getting fired. They know that Master P id not Luther Vandross 😂😂
— Halle’ Hellz (@MszHalle) July 5, 2023
On Thursday, musician Questlove shared the side-by-side photo to his Instagram account and blamed AI for the confusion.
“😑 This is why humans aren’t replaceable,” he wrote in the post’s caption.
View this post on Instagram
Master P, born Percy Robert Miller, said he never had a chance to meet the R&B singer before he passed away in 2005.
He suggested that Google use the viral mishap as an opportunity to support his Black-owned cereal company.
“Hey Google, ya’ll need to get it right. … I’m not gonna sue ya’ll, but ya’ll want to do something big for us,” he said, holding up the cereal box.