Drake’s AI usage of Tupac Shakur’s voice on “Taylor Made Freestyle” caught the attention of the late musician’s brother, who shared his opinion on the song today (April 23).
Speaking to TMZ, Mopreme Shakur claimed that the Toronto native “weaponized it all for a rap battle.” The outlet reported the 56-year-old’s thoughts: “Drake using Pac’s voice is like bringing out a tank, or even going with a nuclear option — and he thinks the battle should be one-on-one with no outside help.”
“Taylor Made Freestyle” came out via Drake’s Instagram on Saturday (April 20). It arrived shortly after “Push Ups” hit streaming platforms and contained jabs aimed at Kendrick Lamar. The more recent record’s title referenced Taylor Swift.
During the track, the five-time Grammy winner playfully claimed that Swift was Lamar’s new label boss, replacing the CEO of his former record label, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. “And if you ’bout to drop, she gotta approve/ This girl really ’bout to make you act like you not in a feud,” Drake rapped.
“Kendrick, we need ya’, the West Coast savior/ Engraving your name in some Hip Hop history, if you deal with this viciously/ You seem a little nervous about all the publicity/ F**k this Canadian light skin, Dot,” Tupac’s deep-fake spat on the record.
Mopreme isn’t the only person who took issue with Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle.” Suge Knight also shared his disapproval during an episode of his eponymous podcast on Monday (April 22). He said, “Putting him on a song and dissing Kendrick [Lamar] for everybody’s entertainment—that ain’t how it goes.”
“Then putting him on a song with Snoop [Dogg], who was a part of his downfall and exit, ain’t ever a good look,” Knight added. “Pac was a king on that chessboard. He never was a pawn, so he can’t make him be a pawn now.”
Snoop’s response to being “featured” on the track was more graceful than his contemporaries. The Long Beach artist posted a clip of himself apparently confused over the incident. He stated, “Everybody calling my phone, blowing me up. What the f**k done happened? What’s going on?”