The heirs of Tupac Shakur have sent a cease and desist letter to Drake following the release of his recent song “Taylor Made Freestyle,” alleging unauthorized use of a version generated by artificial intelligence (AI) of the late rapper’s voice Tupac.
This controversial track described as a ‘diss track’ or ‘diss track’ against Kendrick Lamar It was released on Friday, April 22. The voice of Snoop Dogg that appears in the song was also created with AI, according to the producers, although the producers apparently would have been informed of the fact.
In the letter, presented by the lawyer Howard King and? Billboard highlighted in an exclusive report, Drake is required remove the issue from circulation within the next 24 hours under threat of taking legal action before the Californian justice. The document accuses Drake of “flagrant violation” of the rights of Shakur’s estate and of affecting the legacy “of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time.”
“The family is deeply shocked and disappointed by the unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” stated the text written by King. “Your estate administrators would never approve this use.”, alleged the lawyer.
Drake released “Taylor Made Freestyle” not through the usual streaming platforms where royalties are generated, but as a video on social networks. However, this has not prevented the issue from generating a wide audience and media coverage. The implication of the use of Tupac’s voice in lyrics attacking Kendrick Lamar, a well-known admirer and friend of the rapper’s family, has added tension to the debate.
For its part, King’s letter also alludes to the controversy surrounding copyright involving AI language models who are trained with protected works without proper consent or credit. The Shakurs’ legal defense called for clarification How this “clone” of Tupac’s voice was createdin turn demanding details about the process and those responsible behind this work.
It is worth mentioning that Drake himself had previously dealt with a similar case, and he had also drawn attention against the indiscriminate use of his voice.
“You personally know well both the rights of publicity and the laws that protect them; and He also knows the damage that unauthorized AI impersonations can cause to artists“, argues the letter that was also cited by the magazine Rolling Stone.
“Recently, no doubt with your approval and possibly even at your request, sYour record company removed a highly publicized imitation of you and The Weeknd. And it was done with great news coverage that highlighted how harmful it was for you,” he reported.
While the music industry waits to see if this ‘cease and desist’ escalates into a full-fledged lawsuit, this case could set a precedent for how copyright and publicity rights laws apply in the age of artificial intelligence. Both Tupac’s family and Drake’s entourage have not issued additional comments at this time.
