Kendrick Lamar blasts Drake’s use of AI Tupac on lengthy new diss track
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On a fresh diss track, Kendrick Lamar has once again targeted Drake, ridiculing the popular Canadian musician for relying on synthetic versions of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg in a deleted track that has been removed from the internet.
On Tuesday (30 April), Lamar shared his latest musical creation, called "Euphoria", across his various social media accounts.
The blog section talks about Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle" and how it includes many lyrical connections. However, it was released on 19 April and had to be taken down since Shakur's heirs were unhappy with the use of an AI-generated replica of the late rapper's voice without proper permission.
In the song "Euphoria," Lamar delivers lyrics such as: “I was informed that you have a wedding ring/ Honestly, I am prepared to increase my earnings/ I would rather do that than allow someone from Canada, who is not the same race as me, to disrespect the memory of Tupac Shakur.”
Afterwards, he questions: "Am I fighting spirits or artificial intelligence?"
Lamar takes multiple jabs towards Drake by cleverly using wordplay with his name and the Draco Pistol. During his rap, he mentions his first encounter shooting a Draco Pistol, where his friend advised him to aim a certain way. However, he didn't aim down enough, resulting in a mistake. Today, he proves he learned from that experience.
After receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Shakur's estate, Drake removed the "Taylor Made Freestyle" from circulation.
Howard King, the legal representative, expressed the Estate's disappointment and concern regarding the unsanctioned use of Tupac's voice and identity. He stated that not only does this act infringe upon the legal rights and reputation of Tupac and his Estate, but it also disrespects the enduring legacy of one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history. The Estate would never have authorized this usage.
King stated that the estate was not pleased about the insults directed towards Lamar. The usage of Tupac's voice without permission was also seen as upsetting. Kendrick Lamar is a well-respected friend of the estate and Tupac's legacy, and has always shown reverence towards them. The unauthorized usage of Tupac's voice is an added insult to the situation.
For quite some time, Drake and Lamar have been entangled in an ongoing dispute.
Lamar recently released a new track where he targeted Drake and his rap competitor J Cole. He stated that they are not the top three in the genre, as it is only himself who holds that position.
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Future and Metro Boomin collaborated on an album called We Don't Trust You which featured the track "Like That".
Lamar gave a direct reply to J Cole's lyric on "First Person Shooter" from the 2023 album For All The Dogs by Drake.
In that particular musical piece, Cole engaged in a rap verse where he stated: "I absolutely adore it when people engage in heated debates over who's the most skilled lyricist between myself, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake. We are like the top three players who initiated a league, but at this moment, I feel as confident and powerful as the legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali."
K-Dot is the moniker by which Lamar is recognized, whereas Aubrey is the original name of Drake.