Drake hit with cease-and-desist from Tupac Shakur’s estate over “Taylor Made Freestyle”

Drake has apparently found himself entangled in a new legal threat. Today (April 24), Billboard reported that Tupac Shakur's estate has threatened action over "Taylor Made Freestyle," a diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar which utilized an AI-generated version of Shakur's voice. In a cease-and-desist letter provided to the publication, litigator Howard King demanded the removal of the track within 24 hours, calling it a blatant violation of the late rapper's publicity rights and an abuse of his legacy. He further emphasized that "the estate would never have given its approval for this use."

"The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of [Shakur’s] voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to [Shakur] and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult,” King added.

While Drake's camp declined to comment on the estate's demands, it's uncertain if Snoop Dogg, whose voice was also present thanks to AI, will raise similar objections. The unauthorized use of voice cloning technology has become a contentious legal issue in the music industry, prompting discussions about legislation to address it.

California's existing publicity right laws were cited by Shakur's estate as grounds for legal action against the Canadian talent. According to the letter, “’Taylor Made Freestyle’ caused substantial economic and reputational harm” by creating the “false impression that the estate... promoted or endorsed the lyrics for the sound-alike.” Notably, the song can only be found on Drake’s social media accounts and hasn't been officially released to any streaming platforms.

King continued by making note of 2023's "Heart on My Sleeve" debacle, which was centered around an AI-created song that Drake was said to have objected to. He also requested that the OVO star provide “a detailed explanation for how the sound-alike was created and the persons or company that created it, including all recordings and other data ‘scraped’ or used."

“If you comply, the estate will consider whether an informal negotiation to resolve this matter makes sense,” the letter closed, giving Drake until Thursday (April 25) to meet the demands. “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."

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