Drake removes Ai-generated Tupac track from instagram amid legal dispute
Drake has taken down a track from his Instagram account that featured AI-generated voices of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. The decision came after reports emerged that lawyers representing Tupac's estate had threatened legal action against the Canadian megastar.
The track was uploaded by Drake last Friday but disappeared from his @Champagnepapi account on Thursday evening. According to sources, Howard King, a lawyer representing Tupac's estate, issued a cease-and-desist letter to Drake earlier this week, labeling the track as a "flagrant violation" of the law and an "abuse" of Tupac's legacy.
The letter expressed dismay and disappointment at the unauthorised use of Tupac's voice and warned of legal consequences if the track was not removed within 24 hours. Notably, Drake had previously objected to his own voice being cloned in a viral track called "Heart on My Sleeve," which also featured the voice of Canadian singer The Weeknd.
The removal of "Taylor Made Freestyle" marks the latest development in a series of back-and-forth diss tracks between Drake and his rival Kendrick Lamar. The AI-generated lines in the track aimed at Kendrick were reportedly mentioned in the legal letter, which highlighted Kendrick's respect for Tupac's legacy.
Drake's verse in the track also referenced Taylor Swift, calling her the "biggest gangster in the music game," and alluded to his recent album, "For All the Dogs," where he mentioned adjusting its release timing to avoid competition with Swift's album, "The Tortured Poets Department."
Tupac Shakur, renowned as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, tragically passed away in 1996 at the age of 25. His murder remains unsolved, although former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been charged in connection with the case.
Attempts to reach Howard King for comment and Drake's representatives regarding the matter have been made by BBC but have not yielded responses as of yet.
Comments