Drake diss track "Taylor Made Freestyle," which was aimed at American rapper Kendrick Lamar, has been pulled out of streaming services following a cease-and-desist order from the estate of Tupac Shakur, whose likeness of the late artist was used in the song via AI.
Drake's now-removed song, which also aimed hostility against Taylor Swift, featured AI versions of respected West Coast rap icons Tupac and Snoop Dogg. Notably, the two are also Lamar's idols and his core inspiration as an artist.
However, last Wednesday, April 24, Drake's barbs were dulled when Shakur's estate doled out the cease-and-desist letter.
(Photo : VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Rundown on the Cease-and-Desist Letter Against Drake
As per Billboard, which obtained the letter, litigator Howard King requested Drake to take down the diss track in the next 24 hours or else his clients would "pursue all of its legal remedies" against him.
In the letter, King wrote: "The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and personality."
"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," he continued. "The Estate would never have given its approval for this use."
The litigator added that the estate was particularly disappointed with Drake's "use of Tupac's voice" against Lamar, who it describes as a "respectful" and "good friend to the estate."
In light of this, the letter gave Drake a deadline last Thursday, April 25, to confirm that he and his representatives are"expeditiously taking all steps necessary to have it removed."
As of today, April 26, it seems that Drake has complied with the requests from the estate of Shakur, as the "Taylor Made Freestyle" diss track is now nowhere to be found on all streaming platforms it was issued on.
