The Canadian rapper Drake is facing legal action from the estate of American hip-hop icon 2Pac, whose voice was artificially synthesised on a recent diss track featuring Kendrick Lamar.
The attorney, Howard King, demanded in a cease-and-desist letter that Drake remove the diss track within twenty-four hours, failing which the estate will “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.”
The late 2Pac and Snoop Dogg’s voices were artificial intelligence (AI) creations used on Drake’s Friday release of “Taylor Made Freestyle.”
The estate of 2Pac has now stated unequivocally that if Drake had requested permission, it “would never have given its approval for this use.”
In a different story, Kanye West made some explosive claims about his feud with Drake, implying that the Canadian rapper’s success came at a spiritual cost.
Kanye West alleges that Drake’s choice to “sign his soul to the devil” caused their separation because Drake started acting contrary to the beliefs that West holds dear.
Following his appearance on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” remix, Kanye West made remarks. He claimed he was drawn to the song because of the hype surrounding Drake’s downfall in the hip-hop community. It seems as though Drake sold his soul to the devil in order to avoid getting along with me. It is his responsibility to defy God.
West further asserted that Drake’s “rich baby daddy,” Universal Music CEO Lucian Grainge, is responsible for his financial success. West asserts that Drake’s ascent to prominence was significantly influenced by Grainge.
