The estate of late legendary rapper Tupac Shakur has informed Drake of their intentions to file a lawsuit for the unauthorized use of 2Pac’s voice in Drizzy’s diss track against Kendrick Lamar.
As most hip-hop fans know, Drake unleashed a fiery response song to Kendrick Lamar with the “Taylor Made” freestyle song. The track featured an AI-generated version of Tupac Shakur’s voice.
According to documents obtained by Billboard, Tupac’s estate is not amused, calling his use of the All Eyez On Me star’s voice “a flagrant violation” of the law and a “blatant abuse” of his legacy.
The music outlet published the cease-and-desist letter, which demanded that Drake immediately take down the song lest he face litigation.
“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” litigator Howard King wrote in the letter. “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.”
Tupac’s brother and Snoop Dogg were not amused by the AI additions to the song
Tupac’s surviving brother, Mopreme Shakur, is also perturbed by Drake’s misappropriation of his iconic brother’s voice this way. He says that the rap beef should be one-on-one with no outside help.
Snoop Dogg, whose voice was also used on Drake’s track, registered mild bemusement after learning from friends that Drizzy borrowed his distinct baritone on the “Taylor Made” song. The Doggfather did not indicate that he was litigious, however.
