Rights to Tupac's Voice: Hologram, AI and the Drake Case

In 2012 a projection stood on the Coachella stage, in 2024 an AI voice rapped on a diss track, and in 2025 an artificially generated video showed him shopping. Tupac has been dead since 1996, but his voice can now be reconstructed. This is no longer a thought experiment. Each time, the same question arose: who gets to decide what “Tupac” says and does?

This page sorts through the known cases and the current state of the law. It does not constitute legal advice, and where sources remain silent, that is noted.

Coachella 2012: The Projection Remained an Isolated Case

The first case was authorized, as far as is known. Dr. Dre reportedly asked Afeni Shakur for consent beforehand; this was reported by TMZ, though confirmation from Dre or the estate is missing in the reviewed sources. The technology and the history of the performance can be found on the hologram page.

Crucial to the topic: on April 22, 2012, Dre clarified in a video that the projection had been “strictly for Coachella.” Rumors of a tour were thereby taken off the table (Billboard, April 23, 2012). At that point, the question of rights was still a marginal issue.

April 2024: Drake Has Tupac Rap, the Estate Threatens Legal Action

On April 19, 2024, amid his feud with Kendrick Lamar, Drake released the song Taylor Made Freestyle. It opens with artificially generated voices that sound like Tupac and Snoop Dogg. The Tupac voice urges Lamar to lead the West Coast. Snoop Dogg is alive, Tupac is not. Billboard pointed out that Drake had previously spoken out against AI imitations of his own voice (report).

On April 24, attorney Howard King wrote to Drake on behalf of the estate; Billboard reviewed the letter. The estate was “deeply dismayed and disappointed” over the unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality. It was “a flagrant violation” of Tupac’s publicity rights and the estate’s rights; they would never have consented.

King demanded that Drake confirm within 24 hours that he would remove the song, or else the estate would pursue all legal remedies. Particularly insulting was that the voice was used against Kendrick Lamar, “a good friend to the Estate.” The day before, Mopreme Shakur had already criticized that his brother’s voice was being used “as a weapon,” according to TMZ (report).

One day later, Drake removed the song from his accounts (Billboard, April 25, 2024). Neither he nor the estate commented. No lawsuit ensued, so a court has never decided the case (report).

Industry Protest: Sheryl Crow Calls the AI Voice “Hateful”

In June 2024, singer Sheryl Crow called the use of the Tupac voice “hateful” in a BBC interview. AI is a “slippery slope,” especially when it recreates other artists’ voices. You cannot bring people back from the dead and think they will put up with it, she said, according to Rolling Stone (report). That is an opinion, not a legal ruling, but it shows how the debate unfolded within the industry.

October 2025: An AI Video Shows Tupac in the Supermarket

In early October 2025, an AI video circulated that apparently shows Tupac shopping in a US supermarket, with a red basket and a fan asking for a selfie. Musikexpress and The Source reported mostly critical reactions and asked who may consent to the use of a deceased person’s voice and likeness.

A statement from the estate regarding this clip is not documented in the reviewed sources. Whether rights were violated remains open (report).

No Uniform Federal Law: How US States Protect Voices (as of October 2026)

There is currently no uniform federal law for voices in the US. Protection is granted through state-level “Right of Publicity” statutes (the right to one’s own name and likeness), and they vary:

• Tennessee signed the ELVIS Act on March 21, 2024, which explicitly protects the voice, even when merely imitated. It took effect on July 1, 2024 (RIAA).
• California, where Tupac lived at times, passed bill AB 1836 on September 17, 2024. It prohibits digital replicas of deceased performers without the estate’s consent; protection lasts up to 70 years after death. It took effect on January 1, 2025 (Manatt).
• Federal: The NO FAKES Act is intended to establish a nationwide right to voice and visual likeness. A revised version was introduced in May 2026 and unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 18, 2026. Whether and when it becomes law remains open.

Whether and how these laws would have applied to a case like Taylor Made Freestyle could only be resolved by a court; the song was released prior to both state laws.

Faster Than Any Cease-and-Desist: The Open Future of the Legacy

The estate took immediate and sharp action in 2024, and the song disappeared within a day. At the same time, AI clips spread faster than cease-and-desist letters can take effect. For the stewardship of the legacy, the issue is central; see also the pages on merch and fashion and on legal cases.