A recent lawsuit alleges that Drake’s hit song “Janice STFU” features a stolen chorus, a claim vehemently denied by his team. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 16, asserts that the chorus was penned by Aviel (Avi) Hirschfield, a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and producer who previously collaborated with Drake.
According to the lawsuit, Hirschfield drew inspiration for the lyrics and melody while driving a Maybach to Seattle, listening to the song “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li, a musician Drake has previously sampled. Hirschfield allegedly recorded a demo with his vocals over a track produced by FnZ, a duo known for their work with Drake, and shared it in hopes of reaching Drake.
The lawsuit claims that Hirschfield was shocked to hear Drake perform an identical chorus in “Janice STFU,” which he had recorded and circulated to producers associated with Drake. Drake’s team refutes these accusations as baseless.
The comparison between the two tracks can be heard online with the leaked version created by Hirschfield. “Janice STFU” debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, marking Drake’s 14th chart-topping track. The song broke his tie with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist.
Drake hosted a series of events to apologize to individuals named Janice who felt targeted by the song. Despite his contribution, Hirschfield did not receive a co-writing credit or a portion of the song’s earnings. Drake’s representatives stated that the artist has no affiliation with Hirschfield and firmly denied the allegations, dismissing them as unfounded. Universal Music Group, also named in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the matter.