Tupac Shakur's estate is threatening legal action against Drake just days after he used the late rapper's faux vocals in his diss track for Kendrick Lamar.
Billboard obtained a copy of a cease-and-desist letter that was sent to Drizzy on Wednesday, April 24. In it, litigator Howard King explains that neither the family nor 2Pac himself would ever approve the blatant misuse of the "Changes" rapper's likeness. King ordered Drake to confirm the removal of his "Taylor Made Freestyle" within 24 hours or else he'll have to face the legal wrath of 'Pac's estate.
"The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupacโs voice and personality,โ King wrote. โNot only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupacโs publicity and the estateโs legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use.โ
Drake used AI to recreated 'Pac's vocals for a posthumous verse, which he wrote himself, and placed it at the beginning of the track. The verse sounds as if the late artist was encouraging Kendrick to respond to Drake and dissing him at the same time. 2Pac's family didn't appreciate the Canadian artist weaponizing the deceased MC against KDot, and accused Drake of violating the late artist's publicity rights. They're definitely on the same page as 2Pac's brother Mopreme Shakur, who recently expressed his thoughts on the diss track.
โThe unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupacโs voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult,โ King wrote.
Snoop Dogg also appears on the diss track, but his verse was also made with AI. He learned about it shortly after the freestyle spread on social media last Friday night, and took to Instagram to share his speechless reaction. So far, he hasn't shared any plans to take legal action against Drake. The song was never formally released to streaming platforms unlike his first diss track "Push Ups," however, it was shared by the masses on social media and YouTube. Now 'Pac's family wants to make sure the song is gone for good.
So far, Drake has not commented on the situation.