A recent lawsuit alleges that Drake’s hit song “Janice STFU” features a stolen hook, 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 actually penned by Aviel (Avi) Hirschfield, a Grammy-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 borrowed Maybach to Seattle and listening to Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers,” a track Drake has sampled in the past. Hirschfield allegedly recorded a demo with his vocals over a beat produced by FnZ, a duo known for their work with Drake, and sent it out in hopes of reaching the Toronto rapper.
The lawsuit claims that Hirschfield was shocked to hear Drake perform an identical chorus to what he had recorded and shared with producers. Drake’s team refutes these accusations, labeling them as entirely baseless. A leaked version of Hirschfield’s creation is available for comparison to Drake’s “Janice STFU” video.
“Janice STFU” debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, marking Drake’s 14th chart-topper and breaking his tie with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist. Drake even hosted parties to apologize to individuals named Janice who felt targeted by the song.
Hirschfield, however, did not receive credit as a co-writer and was denied a portion of the song’s profits. Drake’s representatives maintain that the artist has no knowledge of Hirschfield. Universal Music Group, also implicated in the lawsuit, has not commented on the matter when approached by CBC News.