Tupac Shakur’s estate is expressing strong disapproval of Drake’s use of the late hip-hop icon’s voice in a Kendrick Lamar diss track.
Attorney Howard King, representing Shakur’s estate, has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Drake, labeling his use of Tupac’s voice as a “flagrant violation” of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, as reported by Billboard on Wednesday.
Drake, also known as Aubrey Drake Graham, released the diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle” last Friday amid his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar, a multi-award-winning artist.
The track features an AI-generated rendition of Tupac rapping lines like, “Kendrick, we need ya, the West Coast savior.”
In response, King emphasized in the letter that Drake must remove “Taylor Made Freestyle” within 24 hours to avoid legal action from the estate.
He criticized the unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, who is regarded as a friend to the estate and has shown respect for Tupac’s legacy.
King further conveyed the estate’s disappointment over Drake’s actions, stressing that the estate would have never approved such use of Tupac’s voice.
The track also includes AI-generated clones of Snoop Dogg’s voice, with Drake attempting to use digital replicas of Lamar’s hip-hop influences against him.
The situation also raises questions about Universal Music Group’s (UMG) stance on AI-generated voices.
UMG had previously intervened when an AI-generated Drake voice was used without consent, suggesting a potential double standard regarding the use of digital clones in music.
The legality of AI-cloned voices in the music industry remains a grey area, with federal copyrights not distinctly covering this issue.
However, California’s publicity rights laws are considered relevant by King, who argues that Drake’s use of Tupac’s voice creates a false impression of endorsement by the estate.
Recent legislative efforts, such as Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, aim to protect artists from unauthorized AI voice clones, but federal action has been slower to address this evolving issue.
In the meantime, King demands transparency from Drake regarding the creation of the Tupac sound-alike used in the diss track.
