Drake Case Study

In the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the two have been releasing diss tracks at each other over the past few weeks. Most recently, Drake released “Taylor Made Freestyles” which utilized AI voice technology to diss Kendrick by mimicking the style of Tupac Shakur, a deceased hip-hop legend. Within a week of the track’s release, an attorney representing Tupac's estate sent a cease-and-desist letter to demand for the removal of the song. The letter argued that the track disrespected both Tupac's legacy and his right to publicity. Subsequently, Drake removed the song from all of his social media platforms (Hamedy and Yang).

Beyond the intentional use of AI in the Drake’s track, AI voice mimicking has created an obstacle in identifying the authenticity of certain tracks. Unrelated third parties have used AI to mimic Drake’s and Kendrick’s voices and styles, then releasing songs under their names, claiming to be the next diss track response (Klinkenberg). This has resulted in difficulty among the public to discern which tracks are authentic releases, and which use AI to appear to be legitimate.

Under a risk framework analysis, this situation demonstrates the need for clear responsibility allocation and risk mitigation strategies when using AI. We live in a “risk society,” a society in a highly evolving technological frontier, where preoccupation with the future and safety creates a heightened sense of risk and unknown futures (Giddens). Drake's use of AI to mimic Tupac risked disrespecting Tupac's legacy and right to publicity, resulting in legal action. Furthermore, the allowance of AI-generated songs to impersonate real artists poses tangible risks to copyright integrity and artistic authenticity. Both cases illustrate the necessity of clearer moderation systems and guidelines on artist vs platform responsibility to mitigate the risk of violating an artist’s reputation and authenticity.

Works Cited:

Yang, Angela, and Saba Hamedy. “Drake Pulls ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’ after Tupac Estate Threatens Action for Apparent Use of AI Voice.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 26 Apr. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/drake-pulls-taylor-made-freestyle-tupac-estate-threatens-action-appare-rcna149592.

Klinkenberg, Brendan. “In the Battle of Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar, A.I. Is Playing Spoiler.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/arts/music/drake-kendrick-lamar-rap-beef-ai-fakes.html.