Ed Lover Critiques Drake: “You’re Not in Tupac’s League”

Ed Lover recently expressed his views to The Art Of Dialogue regarding Drake’s use of Tupac’s AI-generated voice in his diss track titled “Taylor Made Freestyle.”In a YouTube video released on October 12, 2024, Lover articulated his strong disapproval, stating:

“I hated that s**t. I hated that because that man is not here to give you his permission to do s**t.”

Furthermore, Ed Lover emphasized that he believes Drake does not belong in the same “league”as the late Shakur:

“And you’re not even in that man’s league. You’re a great artist in your own right, but the way that man got everybody’s heart, you ain’t got people’s heart like that.”

For context, Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle”was released in April 2024 amid his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar, but it was taken down following a cease-and-desist order from Tupac’s estate.

Many other artists and fans shared Ed Lover’s sentiments upon hearing Tupac’s AI voice utilized in the diss track. Howard King, the legal representative for Tupac’s estate, expressed his concerns shortly after the track’s release in April, stating they were “dismayed and disappointed.”

In a statement to Billboard, King remarked:

“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality.”

Legal Concerns Over AI Usage in “Taylor Made Freestyle”

The use of Tupac’s AI-generated vocals in “Taylor Made Freestyle”did not sit well with fans and other artists alike. Time magazine highlighted King’s view that the inclusion of AI vocals was “a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time,”asserting that the estate would never endorse such actions.

Additionally, singer Sheryl Crow also criticized Drake regarding the diss track. In a June interview with BBC, she remarked:

“You cannot bring people back from the dead and believe that they would stand for that. I’m sure Drake thought, ‘Yeah, I shouldn’t do it, but I’ll say sorry later.’ But it’s already done, and people will find it even if he takes it down.”

Crow further labeled the track as hateful for its use of AI-generated lyrics. Those lyrics included lines like:

“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.”

“Taylor Made Freestyle”marked one of the first diss tracks released by Drake earlier this year as part of his widely publicized feud. The track made its debut soon after Kendrick Lamar released “Like That”featuring Future, which many interpreted as a direct insult towards both Drake and J. Cole.

The track also incorporated AI vocals from Snoop Dogg, who reportedly expressed surprise upon learning of this use. As for Ed Lover’s recent criticism, Drake has yet to respond.

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