Drake's recent diss track targeting Kendrick Lamar has put him in a tough spot. Tupac Shakur's estate is threatening legal action over the unauthorized use of the late rapper's AI-generated voice.
In a cease-and-desist letter obtained by various media outlets, Howard King, a litigation attorney representing Tupac's estate, said that Drake's “Taylor Made Freestyle” “was a violation of Tupac's public profile and the estate's law.” “This is a clear violation of legal rights.” The letter asks Drake to remove the track within 24 hours or face legal action.
'A blatant abuse of the estate,' heirs say. The letter states that the heirs are “deeply disturbed and disappointed” by Drake's unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and persona, calling it “the world's greatest “A blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the best hip-hop artists of all time.” forever. ”
“The estate would never have consented to such a use,” King wrote in response to Kendrick Lamar, whom the estate considers a friend who has shown respect for Tupac's legacy. It added that using his voice “makes the insult even worse”.
Drake's criticism of Kendrick Lamar includes AI singing vocals by Tupac and Snoop Dogg “Taylor Made Freestyle,” released on April 19th, is a reference to his ongoing collaboration with Kendrick Lamar. It was Drake's latest salvo against the feud. The track featured his AI-generated vocals, which were meant to sound like Tupac and Snoop Dogg firing at Lamar.
In addition to potential publicity rights violations, King's letter also alleges that the AI model used to create Tupac's vocals may have infringed copyright by “training” on existing recordings of the rapper's music. It also suggests that there is.
Although Snoop Dogg has not publicly commented on the matter, the Tupac estate's response suggests that unauthorized use of the artist's likeness could face legal challenges.
Drake and AIAI's history is that they have imitated the voices of deceased artists like Tupac and Freddie Mercury many times, and even living artists like Taylor Swift and Kanye have imitated the voices of other artists' songs. There has been opposition to creating performances.
Ironically, Drake has spoken out against AI-generated music before, particularly in the case of the viral song “Heart on My Sleeve,” which featured an AI-generated version of his voice. . However, his use of AI-generated vocals on “Taylor Made Freestyle” seems to contradict his previous stance.
In a cease-and-desist letter obtained by various media outlets, Howard King, a litigation attorney representing Tupac's estate, said that Drake's “Taylor Made Freestyle” “was a violation of Tupac's public profile and the estate's law.” “This is a clear violation of legal rights.” The letter asks Drake to remove the track within 24 hours or face legal action.
'A blatant abuse of the estate,' heirs say. The letter states that the heirs are “deeply disturbed and disappointed” by Drake's unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and persona, calling it “the world's greatest “A blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the best hip-hop artists of all time.” forever. ”
“The estate would never have consented to such a use,” King wrote in response to Kendrick Lamar, whom the estate considers a friend who has shown respect for Tupac's legacy. It added that using his voice “makes the insult even worse”.
Drake's criticism of Kendrick Lamar includes AI singing vocals by Tupac and Snoop Dogg “Taylor Made Freestyle,” released on April 19th, is a reference to his ongoing collaboration with Kendrick Lamar. It was Drake's latest salvo against the feud. The track featured his AI-generated vocals, which were meant to sound like Tupac and Snoop Dogg firing at Lamar.
In addition to potential publicity rights violations, King's letter also alleges that the AI model used to create Tupac's vocals may have infringed copyright by “training” on existing recordings of the rapper's music. It also suggests that there is.
Although Snoop Dogg has not publicly commented on the matter, the Tupac estate's response suggests that unauthorized use of the artist's likeness could face legal challenges.
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Ironically, Drake has spoken out against AI-generated music before, particularly in the case of the viral song “Heart on My Sleeve,” which featured an AI-generated version of his voice. . However, his use of AI-generated vocals on “Taylor Made Freestyle” seems to contradict his previous stance.
