The latest single from Drake, “Janice STFU,” has become a massive success, but a recent legal action claims that the catchy chorus was allegedly taken from another artist, Aviel (Avi) Hirschfield, a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and producer who had collaborated with Drake in the past.
According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on October 16, Hirschfield crafted the lyrics and melody for the chorus while driving a borrowed Maybach to Seattle, drawing inspiration from the song “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li, a musician Drake has previously sampled.
Hirschfield reportedly created a demo with his vocals layered over a track produced by FnZ, a duo known for their collaborations with Drake, and shared it with various individuals in hopes of it reaching the Toronto rapper. However, the lawsuit alleges that Drake’s “Janice STFU” incorporated the exact chorus that Hirschfield had recorded, leading to the legal dispute.
Drake’s team has vehemently denied these accusations, asserting that there is no truth to the claims made by Hirschfield. Despite this, the leaked version of Hirschfield’s track is available online for comparison with Drake’s official release.
“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 hit and surpassing Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 songs by a male solo artist. In response to the song’s impact on individuals named Janice, Drake hosted a series of parties to apologize for any unintended discomfort caused by the track.
Notably, Hirschfield did not receive a co-writing credit for “Janice STFU” and was reportedly denied a portion of the song’s earnings. While Drake’s representatives have stated that the artist has no association with Hirschfield, Universal Music Group, also implicated in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.