Drake’s recent foray into artificial intelligence (A.I.) has landed him in legal hot water with the estate of late rap icon Tupac Shakur. The estate alleges that Drake’s diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” aimed at Kendrick Lamar, features an unauthorized and illegal recreation of Tupac’s voice. According to the estate, this usage constitutes a “flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the Estate’s legal right” and an “abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time.” Compounding the issue, the estate highlights that the track targets Lamar, “a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately.” The lyrics attributed to the Tupac A.I. mimic the familiar blend of sexual insults and inside jokes typically found in diss tracks, except this time, they are voiced by a deceased individual who had no involvement in the dispute. The song also employs a similar technique with the voice of still-living rapper Snoop Dogg, who has since expressed confusion over the matter. The Shakur estate has declared its intention to pursue all legal avenues to have “Taylor Made Freestyle” removed.
Drake Faces Legal Trouble Over Unauthorized Use of Tupac’s Voice in Diss Track
