The estate of Tupac Shakur, the late US rapper, is taking legal action against Drake following the release of the Canadian singer’s diss track ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’.
On April 19, Drake released ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’ on streaming services.
The track stirred outrage with its alleged use of AI-generated vocals imitating Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg — apparently to taunt Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift.
According to a cease-and-desist letter obtained by Billboard, Tupac’s estate, represented by lawyer Howard King, expressed disappointment over the “unauthorised use” of Tupac’s voice and likeness.
The letter calls it a “flagrant violation” of Tupac’s publicity rights and a “blatant abuse” of his legacy.
King demanded that Drake remove the song from all platforms within 24 hours, threatening “all legal remedies” if he failed to comply.
“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorised use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” the letter reads.
“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 would never have given its approval for this use.”
Drake’s management has yet to respond publicly.
It remains to be seen if Snoop Dogg, whose voice was also seemingly imitated, will take similar legal action.
Tupac was fatally shot while leaving a boxing match in 1996.
In 2017, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Snoop Dogg.
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