Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Tupac Shakur’s estate is up in arms against Drake, threatening legal action over his latest track that allegedly features an artificial intelligence-generated version of the late rapper’s voice, calling it a disrespectful misuse of his legacy.
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Drake dropped the track, titled “Taylor Made Freestyle,” on his Instagram last Friday. The song uses AI technology to mimic the voices of both Shakur and Snoop Dogg.
Howard King, representing Shakur’s estate, issued a cease-and-desist letter on Wednesday demanding Drake to remove the track from all public platforms. The deadline given to Drake for compliance is noon Thursday, failing which the estate plans to pursue legal recourse, according to the letter obtained by NBC News.
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The diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” is part of Drake’s ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar and is not yet available on streaming platforms.
In the cease-and-desist letter, King expressed outrage, stating, “Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time.” The estate contends they would never have authorized such use.
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Shakur’s estate views Drake’s unauthorized use of Shakur’s likeness as a violation of his right to publicity, an intellectual property right protecting against the unauthorized use of someone’s name or image. The letter also expressed concerns that the track could mislead listeners into thinking the estate endorses the content.
The estate seeks damages, including all profits from the track, citing substantial economic and reputational harm caused. King also highlighted Drake’s use of Shakur’s voice against Lamar, a close friend to the estate, as an additional insult.
The release of “Taylor Made Freestyle” comes in the midst of tensions between Drake and Lamar, sparked by Lamar’s recent diss toward Drake and J. Cole in a guest verse on another song. Fans are now waiting to see if Drake will respond to Lamar’s jabs.
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