A recent lawsuit accuses Drake of plagiarizing the hook in his hit song “Janice STFU,” a claim vehemently denied by his team. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 16, the lawsuit alleges that the chorus was penned 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 drew inspiration for the lyrics and melody while driving a borrowed luxury Maybach to Seattle, listening to Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers,” a track previously sampled by Drake. Hirschfield reportedly recorded a demo with his vocals over a music file produced by FnZ, a duo known for their work with Drake, hoping it would reach the Toronto rapper.
The lawsuit claims that Hirschfield was shocked to hear Drake perform a chorus identical to the one he had recorded and shared with producers. However, Drake’s team refutes these accusations, labeling them as entirely false.
The comparison between the two tracks can be heard online, with Hirschfield’s leaked version contrasted with Drake’s official video for “Janice STFU.” The song made a splash by debuting at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, marking Drake’s 14th chart-topping hit and breaking his tie with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist.
Drake went as far as hosting apology parties for individuals named Janice, who felt targeted by the song, despite Hirschfield not receiving co-writing credit or a share of the song’s earnings. Drake’s representatives firmly stated that Drake has no association with Hirschfield, and they adamantly deny the allegations, rejecting any insinuation that the claims are factual.
Universal Music Group, also implicated in the lawsuit, opted not to comment on the ongoing legal matter, stating their policy of not discussing litigation matters.
