2Pac‘s estate has given Drake an ultimatum regarding his “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss against Kendrick Lamar, which features the late rapper’s likeness in artificial-intelligence form.
On Wednesday (April 24), Billboard obtained and published a cease-and-desist letter from litigator Howard King to the Canadian superstar for using a computer-generated replica of the West Coast icon’s voice on his latest song. The Death Row Records legend’s estate is threatening to “pursue all of its legal remedies” if he doesn’t pull down the track in question within 24 hours of receiving the notice.
“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” the note 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.
“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.”
It continues: “It is hard to believe that [2Pac’s record label]’s intellectual property was not scraped to create the fake Tupac AI on the Record. The [song] has generated well more than one million streams at this point and has been widely reported in the general national press and popular entertainment websites and publications. Without question, it is exponentially more serious and damaging than a picture of you with some other people on a low volume website.
“If you comply, the estate will consider whether an informal negotiation to resolve this matter makes sense. If you do not comply, our client has authorized this firm to pursue all of its legal remedies including, but not limited to, an action for violation of … the estate’s copyright, publicity and personality rights and the resulting damages, injunctive relief, and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.”
To this point, Pac’s brother has also publicly reprimanded Drizzy for the AI assists. According to an article published by TMZ earlier this week, Mopreme Shakur thinks it was inappropriate for the 6 God to use his sibling to disrespect another rapper.
He reportedly feels that the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker should’ve gone one-on-one with K. Dot rather than resort to what he calls the “nuclear option.”
The joint in question was released by the 37-year-old across social-media platforms last week.
Whereas the authenticity of his first counterattack was under speculation for a while, “Taylor Made Freestyle” openly embraces artificial intelligence with features from the voices of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg to convey alternate perspectives via lyrics that Drake wrote.
After using the two legends’ viewpoints to press his adversary to drop a response, he references Taylor Swift‘s new album and TDE boss Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith with the bars: “But now we gotta wait a fucking week ’cause Taylor Swift is your new Top/ And if you ’bout to drop, she gotta approve/ This girl really ’bout to make you act like you not in a feud/ She tailor made your schedule with Ant, you out of the loop.”
Soon after the track went live, Akademiks revealed during a livestream that he received a text from the rapper that read: “Ak, you know I was trying to come off tour and relax. N-ggas done fucked up my whole feng shui. Now I gotta eat until this debate is done.”
Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar dropped “Like That” in late March, on which the California native devotes his entire guest verse to taking shots at Drizzy and J. Cole.
The beef has since escalated a great deal, with Rick Ross, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky joining the K.Dot’s side and Cole withdrawing from the beef after releasing a diss track of his own.
Good. Hope the estate win.
Win what the song not for sale or streaming, so drake didn’t make any money for it
Did you read the article? They arent seeking money. They are seeking removal of the song.
Best news I heard all day
Now’s your chance to pull a J. COLE and delete that terrible diss track! Only a pussy ass WHITE BOOOOOOI from the burbs would desecrete the spirit of the late great Mr. Shakur!
That shit was fire dick riding hater
Shit was not fire
Dumpster fire
If Drake is white, then America has never had a black president LOL
Show me the Barack Obama nosejob. I DARE YOU! #BBLDRIZZY 👃🏻👃🏻👃🏻
Drake has a nose job? I feel like I’d have to be a loser to even know that much about him lol.
I got a feeling “pull a Cole” will be a new rap line.
For example, “I bet your mom wish she pulled a Cole on you” I’m not dissing you btw! Just saying. This gonna be used to death in the coming years.
Black boiiiiii
“The Estate” who exactly is “The Estate” ?
More than likely its Pac’s sister. I could be wrong though.
It’s some random white dude. I forget his name. The legends’ music always end up in the hands of some person who had nothing to do with them. Some random person has Prince’s shit too.
Oh, and his sister doesn’t fuck with him. He probably did this as a publicity stunt as much as anything because he doesn’t gatekeep Pac’s likeness too well and has it involved in all kinds of bullshit but drew the line at a song that’s not even official, so there is nothing to sue for. It was in poor taste for us real Pac fans, but I do question the people who sit back when all kinds of people disrespect Pac for monetary gain or whatever and don’t say a word but are now saying Drake was the one dude who went too far.
Why is there so much hate for drake.
In this case because he pulled a stupid stunt that didnt work.
He’s a horrible pop star rapper. A real cornball, especially when he tries beefing with actual rappers. Only dateless females and effeminate men enjoy his music
Because he’s a terrible pop star trying g to be a rapper he sucks so bad
Good. Fraudulent use of a dead rapper’s voice for a tame diss song is a new low for hip hop.
The song would’ve been more impressive if he channeled pacs flow and delivery. Pac with Drake flow ain’t it