Sheryl Crow, 62, has condemned the actions of her fellow musician Drake, 37, in an interview. The singer is currently embroiled in a feud with Kendrick Lamar, 37, and released the diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle” in April. This track includes a verse featuring the artificial intelligence-generated voice of the late rapper Tupac Shakur (1971-1996). “It’s hateful. It goes against the life force that resides in all of us,” Crow told the BBC.
The song was swiftly taken down shortly after its release due to threats of legal action from Tupac’s estate. “You cannot resurrect someone from the dead and expect that to be acceptable,” the rock singer further criticized. Drake anticipated that an apology would resolve everything, but “it’s already happened, and people will find it even if he takes it down again.”
“Blatant Misuse of Legacy”
“Taylor Made Freestyle,” which also features the AI-generated voice of Snoop Dogg, 52, is one of the tracks born from the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. In the song, Drake portrays Tupac as an ally of his adversary. Tupac’s estate was not in agreement with the use of his voice in this context.
In a letter from attorney Howard King obtained by “People,” the action is described as a “blatant misuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time,” emphasizing that the estate “never gave its consent” for the use of Tupac’s vocals. King appealed to Drake to be aware of the “damage that unauthorized AI imitations can cause to artists, including yourself.”
Sheryl Crow Calls for Action
Sheryl Crow has previously disapproved of the use of artificial intelligence in the music industry — she even wrote a whole song against it titled “Evolution.” In a guest column in “The Hollywood Reporter,” she urged the US Congress to “act now” and take measures against AI in music. “It’s wrong to manipulate the likeness, voice, words, or art of an artist as if it comes directly from them,” wrote the multiple Grammy Award winner.
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role in music. Just on June 24, a lawsuit was filed by the US music industry trade group RIAA against two startups that allow users to create music pieces. The AI software used for this purpose incorporates copyrighted songs from well-known musicians.
