Drake faces copyright lawsuit over 'Janice STFU' chorus

Songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Drake, alleging the rapper stole the chorus from his hit single ‘Janice STFU’ from the album Iceman.

Hirschfield claims he wrote the hook in late 2025 and early 2026, sending a demo to producers FNZ (Michael ‘Finatik’ Mulé and Isaac ‘Zac’ De Boni) who work closely with Drake. The plaintiff alleges the released track is ‘word-for-word, note-for-note, beat-by-beat’ identical to his recording. Hirschfield, who previously shared songwriting credits with Drake on Beyoncé’s ‘Heated’, is seeking a jury trial and damages.

Drake’s legal team has issued a categorical denial, describing the lawsuit as a ‘manufactured and baseless attempt to exploit Drake's name, reputation, and success for financial gain.’ The defense maintains that Drake wrote the song himself and has no knowledge of Hirschfield. Furthermore, Drake’s representatives have suggested that Hirschfield may have manipulated metadata to support his claims. The lawsuit names Drake, OVO Sound, UMG Recordings, and Universal Music Publishing as defendants.