A controversial Drake track featuring an AI-generated version of Tupac Shakur’s voice has been taken down amid legal threats from the late rapper’s estate.
The Canadian superstar uploaded the track, titled Taylor Made Freestyle, which also featured an AI version of Snoop Dogg’s voice, last week.
However, reports surfaced this week that Tupac’s estate had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake, ordering him to remove the track within 24 hours. The post containing the clip mysteriously disappeared from Drake’s social media account soon after.
According to a report by Billboard, Howard King, a lawyer representing Tupac’s estate, called Taylor Made Freestyle a “flagrant violation” of the law and an “abuse” of Tupac’s legacy. The letter warned that the estate would pursue legal action if the track was not removed promptly.
This incident is not the first time Drake has faced backlash for using AI-generated voices in his music. In a previous viral track called Heart on My Sleeve, Drake’s objections to having his voice cloned were mentioned.
Taylor Made Freestyle was also part of a ongoing diss track battle between Drake and rival Kendrick Lamar. The AI-generated lines in the track took shots at Lamar, prompting a response from Tupac’s estate, who called Kendrick a good friend of the estate who had always shown respect to Tupac’s legacy.
In addition to the controversy surrounding the track, Drake also referenced Taylor Swift in his verses, calling her the “biggest gangster in the music game.” The timing of the release of the track, just after Swift’s album, The Tortured Poets Department, raised eyebrows as well.
Tupac Shakur, known as 2Pac, was a highly regarded figure in hip-hop, with hits like California Love and All Eyez On Me. He tragically passed away in 1996 at the age of 25 after a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Recently, a former gang leader, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, pleaded not guilty to charges related to Shakur’s murder.
