In a shocking turn of events for the music industry, the estate of Tupac Shakur has reacted strongly to Drake’s last diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle.” The track was created with an AI version of the voice of the legendary rapper. According to the estate, this act fully violates legal rights and disrespect for Tupac’s legacy.
The estate, represented by litigator Howard King, has expressed deep disappointment and shock over the unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice. The song violates not only Tupac’s publicity rights but also smears the reputation of the most outstanding hip-hop artist to have ever lived. The estate claimed that they had never approved of such voice use.
2Pac’s estate threatens to sue Drake over his use of AI vocals on ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’
“Not only is the record a flagrant violation of 2Pac’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.”… PIC.TWITTER.COM/E6SFBT2MU3
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) APRIL 24, 2024
As for the letter, Howard King noted that “the intellectual property comprising the music” of Pac’s discography had possibly “been scraped to create the fake Tupac AI on the record”. Accordingly, Drake was demanded to specify “how the sound-alike was created and the persons or company that created it, including all recordings and other data ‘scraped’ or used.”
Furthermore, the diss track has sparked a controversy between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Additionally, the track utilized false instrumentation of Tupac’s voice to spit lines against another estate friend, Kendrick Lamar, who has consistently shown homage to Tupac and his legacy. Such utter disrespect of Tuputa’s voice to blast on Kendrick Lamar, especially when he has consistently shown respect towards his mentor, escalated the ongoing feud further.
The estate has now warned Drake to take down the track. They threatened to sue him if he does not remove the music within the next 24 hours. What is interesting is that Snoop Dogg‘s voice is also in “Taylor Made Freestyle.” But, he has stayed silent on the warning.
Music professionals and fans had various reactions to the story. Once again, it brought up the issues of ethics and legality with AI-generated vocals. Drake uploaded the track on his Instagram. It’s still there now. But, it seems not to be on any streaming platform.
Thus, the cease-and-desist letter addressing the use of AI in music that Tupac’s estate sent to Drake raises significant questions. The estate says “Taylor Made Freestyle” caused much economic and reputational damage. It made people think the estate and Tupac endorsed the lyrics.
Drake has also been demanded to identify all details regarding the creation of the AI-generated Tupac voice, including the individual or company, all the recordings, and any other information used . Drake has yet to respond. However, the estate is ready for an informal negotiation if Drake agrees to comply with its requirements.
This incident is high-profile. It shows the legal and ethical standards in the developing field of AI and music. It will be interesting to see whether the play of AI in the music will be allowed from now.
