*An AI-generated video of late rapper Tupac Shakur casually shopping at Target has gone viral online, reigniting public debate over the use of artificial intelligence in recreating deceased celebrities. The short clip features a digital likeness of 2Pac pushing a cart, greeting fans, and selecting items from the store.
As Hot New Hip Hop reports, many social media users expressed discomfort with the video’s realism and implications. “I know some auntie on Facebook fell for this video saying PAC alive…AI is scary man,” one person commented after The Neighborhood Talk posted the clip.
Others connected the viral clip to previous legal concerns surrounding AI and the rapper’s legacy. “And his estate should sue them just like they sue Drake,” one user said, referring to the estate’s past threats of legal action against Drake for using an AI-generated version of 2Pac’s voice in a diss track.
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In 2024, attorney Howard King, representing 2Pac’s estate, issued a cease-and-desist letter to Drake demanding the removal of a song that used an AI-generated version of the late rapper’s voice. As Time reported, King stated that the estate was “deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” describing it as a “flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights” and “a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time.”
He emphasized that the estate would never have approved such usage. The track, titled “Taylor Made Freestyle,” also included AI vocals resembling Snoop Dogg and had gained over a million streams across platforms. The song was Drake’s second diss aimed at Kendrick Lamar, following Lamar’s chart-topping track “Like That” with Future.
Snoop reacted humorously to the situation in an Instagram video, saying, “They did what? When? How? Are you sure?”
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