Rapper Drake denies he stole ‘Janice STFU’ hook after being sued for copyright infringement

Canadian rapper Drake denies the accusations that he stole the “Janice STFU” hook after being sued for copyright infringement.

The rapper’s representatives described the allegations as baseless, insisting that Drake wrote the tune himself and had no reference to the particular person accusing him of copying the work.

The lawsuit was filed on October 16, 2026, by songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield in a federal court docket in California. It names Drake, his OVO Sound label, UMG Recordings, and Universal Music Publishing as defendants.

Hirschfield alleges that the refrain of Janice STFU, launched as a part of Drake’s Iceman album in May 2026, is just about similar to a demo he wrote and recorded earlier within the yr.

According to the criticism, Hirschfield accomplished his recording round January 25, 2026, and despatched it to FnZ, the manufacturing duo of Michael Mulé and Isaac De Boni, in addition to different producers related to Drake. He claims he obtained no response however later recognised his lyrics and melody when Drake’s tune was launched.

Hirschfield additional claims that he supplied Drake’s representatives with audio information and recording metadata to assist his assertion that his demo predated the launched tune. However, he alleges that the rapper’s camp refused to acknowledge his contribution or provide him songwriting credit score and compensation.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and earnings allegedly generated by the unauthorised use of the refrain. Hirschfield can also be requesting a jury trial, though he has not specified a selected quantity in damages.

Drake’s consultant strongly rejected the allegations in an announcement to TMZ, saying: “These allegations are categorically, unequivocally, and completely denied. There is not one iota of truth to these accusations.”

The consultant additionally described the lawsuit as a “manufactured and baseless attempt” to use Drake’s identify and profession, including that the rapper had no data of Hirschfield’s claims.