A recent lawsuit alleges that Drake’s latest 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, states that the chorus was crafted by Aviel Hirschfield, a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and producer who had collaborated with Drake in the past.
Hirschfield reportedly 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 Drake has previously sampled. He then recorded a demo with his vocals over a production 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 to the one he had recorded after the release of “Janice STFU.” Drake’s team has refuted these allegations, calling them completely baseless.
The comparison between the two tracks can be heard online through a leaked version of Hirschfield’s creation and Drake’s official video for “Janice STFU.” The song 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 hits by a male solo artist.
Drake even organized a series of events to apologize to individuals named Janice who felt targeted by the song. Despite his involvement in the creation of the chorus, Hirschfield was not credited as a co-writer and did not receive any share of the song’s profits.
Drake’s representatives have stated that he has no knowledge of Hirschfield and firmly deny the allegations. Universal Music Group, also named in the lawsuit, has not provided a comment to CBC News upon request.