The estate of American hip-hop legend 2Pac has threatened to sue Canadian rapper Drake over a recent diss track against Kendrick Lamar that featured an AI-generated version of the late rapper’s voice.
In a Wednesday cease-and-desist letter, the litigator, Howard King, asked Drake to pull down the diss track in less than 24 hours or the estate would “pursue all of its legal remedies” against him.
“Not only is the record a flagrant violation of 2Pac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time,” the letter partly reads.
“The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of 2Pac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to 2Pac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult.”
Drake released ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’ on Friday, and featured AI-generated versions of the late 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg’ voices.
2Pac’s estate has now made it clear that it “would never have given its approval for this use” if Drake had asked for permission.