Victoria Monét and Quavo are putting a real-life spin on one of social media’s biggest AI trends. Just hours before both artists prepare to drop new albums, the pair teamed up to recreate Quavo and Takeoff’s iconic “Hotel Lobby” performance without using artificial intelligence.
On Thursday, October 1, Monét stepped into Takeoff’s role for a recreation of the duo’s 2022 COLORS performance. The setup looked remarkably familiar, featuring the signature orange backdrop, hanging microphone, and choreography associated with the original clip. Quavo returned to his part while Monét mimicked Takeoff’s verse and movements.
The biggest difference was the message attached to the recreation: “No AI.” Monét made it clear that she and Quavo wanted to give fans a real performance rather than another digitally generated version of the viral moment.
The timing also worked perfectly for both artists. Monét and Quavo are each releasing new albums on October 2, with Monét dropping Frequency of Love and Quavo releasing QRÖMELIFE. Instead of treating the simultaneous releases like a competition, the two artists used the viral moment to promote both projects and encouraged fans to support their new music.
Quavo Previously Pointed Fans Back to the Original
The collaboration arrives after AI-generated versions of Quavo and Takeoff’s “Hotel Lobby” performance dominated social media throughout September. The trend placed celebrities, fictional characters, athletes, and even animals into the orange COLORS studio setup, with AI technology recreating the duo’s movements and vocals.
While the trend generated plenty of attention, it also sparked discussion because Takeoff’s likeness was being recreated nearly four years after his death. Quavo previously responded by reminding fans where the viral moment actually came from, reposting the original COLORS performance on September 23 with the caption, “The Original!!! #HOTELLOBBY.”
Monét and Quavo took that message a step further by physically recreating the scene themselves. With Monét filling Takeoff’s position, the clip also carries a more personal tribute element rather than simply becoming another AI-generated imitation.
With two new albums arriving the same night, the “Hotel Lobby” recreation gives Victoria Monét and Quavo a creative way to connect their releases while celebrating a memorable piece of Quavo and Takeoff’s history.
