Tupac Shakur’s estate recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake following his AI-generated diss track.
Billboard obtained the cease-and-desist letter, which demanded that the freestyle using Tupac’s voice be removed from social media in 24 hours. If action was not taken, they would take legal action against Drake.
As of Thursday night, the post on which the song was shared is no longer available on the rapper’s Instagram.
According to the estate, using AI to replicate Shakur’s voice, which they did not clear, violated his intellectual property rights to protect his image and name; in their cease-and-desist letter, they claimed it was “a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time.”
Drake will need to compensate any damages accrued from the track’s release, including profits.
Titled “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the track contained AI-generated vocals from Shakur and Snoop Dogg. It was released as part of Drake’s feud with rapper Kendrick Lamar, who also released a diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper in March.
“The Estate would never have given its approval for this use,” said the estate lawyer, Howard E. King, per Billboard. The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult.”
The release of the AI-generated track comes amidst the ongoing hearings of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who is being accused of murdering Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996.
In a recent court hearing on Tuesday, his defense attorney claimed that Davis’ stories are not based on facts and that there isn’t enough evidence for him to be convicted. Per the defense attorney, Carl Arnold, his client exaggerated his involvement in the murder as part of a tell-all memoir he released five years ago.
If found guilty at his trial that’s scheduled for Nov. 4, Davis could face life in prison; currently, he’s being held in jail with a $750,000 bond.
On September 13, 1996, Shakur succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the age of 25 after being shot in a drive-by shooting at a traffic light six days prior.
Considered to be one of the best-selling artists, he sold more than 75 million copies of his records; in 2017, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and has previously been celebrated by the Grammy Museum. Last year, Shakur also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
