A recent lawsuit has alleged that Drake’s hit song, “Janice STFU,” features a stolen hook, a claim vehemently denied by Drake’s team. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on October 16, states that the chorus was originally written by Aviel (Avi) Hirschfield, a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and producer who had collaborated with Drake in the past.
According to the lawsuit, Hirschfield came up with the lyrics and melody while driving a luxury Maybach to Seattle and listening to “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li, an artist previously sampled by Drake. Hirschfield recorded a demo with his vocals over a track produced by FnZ, a duo known for working with Drake, hoping it would reach the Toronto rapper.
Subsequently, Hirschfield allegedly heard “Janice STFU” and found Drake performing an identical chorus to the one he had recorded and shared with producers linked to Drake. Drake’s team has strongly refuted these accusations.
Listeners can compare the leaked version of Hirschfield’s track with Drake’s “Janice STFU” video. The song debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts. It marked Drake’s 14th chart-topping hit, surpassing Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist.
Drake hosted apology parties for individuals named Janice who felt targeted by the song. Despite his involvement in the creation process, Hirschfield was neither credited as a co-writer nor granted a share of the song’s earnings.
Drake’s representatives have stated that he has no association with or knowledge of Hirschfield. Universal Music Group, also implicated in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter.