Drake taking it too far

Drake has landed himself in potential legal trouble following his unauthorised use of an AI version of Tupac Shakur’s voice.

His eagerness to get a response from Kendrick Lamar in the ongoing rap beef of 2024 has clearly backfired.

Following the release of Drake’s first response track, “Push Ups”, he has still not heard back from Kendrick.

He then decided last week to follow up with another diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle”, and on it he raps in the voice of legendary west coast rapper Tupac.

A lack of foresight

On the surface, Drake’s decision to come at Kendrick through the voice of his biggest idol was seen by some rap fans as a power move.

Others, however, felt that it was a sign of disrespect to Tupac, who passed away 28 years ago.

The estate of Tupac Shakur has now come out with a strong statement, with lawyer Howard King writing:

“The estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorised use of Tupac’s voice and personality.”

“Not only is the record a flagrant violation of…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 estate would never have given its approval for this use.”

He further stated, “The unauthorised, equally dismaying use of Tupac’s 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.”

The estate has sent a cease and desist letter to the Canadian superstar, demanding that he remove the track within 24 hours or face legal action.

Respecting hip-hop culture

There is a discourse circulating online comparing Drake’s use of AI with Kendrick Lamar’s past creative decisions.

First, in Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album, To Pimp a Butterfly, he manufactures an interview with Tupac using an old interview that Tupac did with a Swedish media outlet.

Lamar used Tupac’s audio from the interview to create a conversation between the two west coast legends.

This is not even remotely similar to Drake’s use of Tupac’s voice for two reasons.

First, Lamar used Tupac’s actual voice, and not an AI version.

Second, he had the blessings of Tupac’s estate in doing so.

The second creative decision being contested was Lamar’s use of deep fake technology in the music video for “The Heart Part 5”.

In it, he takes on the persona of various celebrities, including the deceased Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.

The difference here is quite simple.

Kendrick Lamar had a close personal relationship with both Bryant and Hussle before their passing.

Drake, of course, never met Tupac, and therefore overstepped the boundaries of rap beef.

What next?

Kendrick Lamar’s lack of a response has paid off in a major way.

Drake exposed his true colours by disrespecting one of hip-hop’s greatest icons in an attempt to lure Kendrick out.

It will be interesting to see when, how, and if the Compton native responds to Drake.

One thing is clear, though.

Kendrick Lamar has demonstrated the power of silence.