LOS ANGELES (AP) — When an country song called hit No. 1 on Billboard's country digital song sales chart this month, it was credited to a fictional artist named Breaking Rust — a white, digitally generated avatar that didn't exist two months ago.

But the song's vocal phrasing, melodic shape and stylistic DNA came from someone who does exist: Grammy-nominated country artist , a Black music artist who has worked with , and

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