Drake removed his Kendrick Lamar diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle” from social media. The Canadian star took down the song at the behest of Tupac Shakur’s estate.
Tupac’s estate threatened to sue Drake in a cease-and-desist letter. Drake used AI-generated Tupac and Snoop Dogg vocals to taunt Kendrick on “Taylor Made Freestyle.” Tupac’s estate condemned “the dismaying use” of his voice.
“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” the estate’s attorney Howard King wrote. “Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac’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 Estate would never have given its approval for this use.”
Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” was never available on streaming services. The track only appeared on his social media platforms.
Tupac’s estate demanded the removal of the “Taylor Made Freestyle” days after its release. The estate also asked Drake to provide a “detailed explanation” of how Tupac’s AI-generated voice was created in its cease-and-desist letter.
“If you comply, the estate will consider whether an informal negotiation to resolve this matter makes sense,” King wrote. “If you do not comply, our client has authorized this firm to pursue all of its legal remedies including, but not limited to, an action for violation of … the estate’s copyright, publicity and personality rights and the resulting damages, injunctive relief and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.”
Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” was his second diss track aimed at Kendrick. Drizzy previously released the song “Push Ups,” which targeted Kendrick and several others.
Kendrick started the battle by dissing Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That.” Cole responded with “7 Minute Drill” but quickly regretted dissing Kendrick. Cole apologized at the 2024 Dreamville Festival.