- The Tupac Shakur estate has threatened legal action against Drake for using an AI-generated voice in a diss track, highlighting concerns over the ethical and legal implications of AI in music and entertainment.
- This development underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and personal legacies, especially in the context of music and entertainment.
- The situation raises questions about the ethical considerations of using AI to create or replicate voices, including issues related to consent, authenticity, and the exploitation of personal likeness and voice.
- The Tupac Shakur estate’s legal action serves as a reminder of the need for artists and their estates to protect their rights and legacy in the digital age.
Tupac Shakur’s estate has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Drake, threatening legal action over the use of an AI-generated voice of Tupac in Drake’s diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle.”
This track features a computer-generated replica of Tupac’s voice, which is used to criticize Kendrick Lamar. The letter, sent by litigator Howard King, demands that Drake remove the track within 24 hours of receiving the notice.
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The estate’s letter expresses deep disappointment and dismay over Drake’s unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality, describing it as a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity rights and the estate’s legal rights. It further criticizes the use as a blatant abuse of Tupac’s legacy, stating that the estate would never have approved such use.
In addition to the legal threat, Tupac’s brother, Mopreme Shakur, has publicly reprimanded Drake for the AI-assisted track. Mopreme Shakur believes it was inappropriate for Drake to use Tupac’s likeness to disrespect another rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and suggests that Drake should have engaged in a more direct confrontation with Kendrick Lamar instead of resorting to the use of AI technology.
This public response from Tupac’s family members underscores the seriousness with which the estate views Drake’s actions and the potential legal consequences that could follow.
