A new lawsuit against Drake is putting one of his biggest hits in years under a legal microscope. Songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield, who goes by Avi, claims the chorus of “Janice STFU” is “literally identical” to a demo he sent to Drake’s circle, and Drake’s team is already pushing back hard.
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According to a complaint filed Friday, October 16, and first reported by Billboard, Hirschfield alleges he wrote the hook in December 2025 and January 2026 and sent it to producers who work with Drake, only to hear the same lyrics and melody when the track dropped on Iceman in May. TMZ also obtained the filing, which says Hirschfield provided audio files with timestamps to back up his claim, and that Drake’s camp refused to give him credit or a cut of the profits.
The suit alleges Hirschfield wrote his demo over an audio bed he received from producer duo Michael “Finatik” Mulé and Isaac “Zac” De Boni, known as FNZ, who are frequent Drake collaborators. FNZ are credited as co-writers on “Janice STFU,” which also interpolates Lykke Li’s 2011 song “I Follow Rivers.” Hirschfield says he built his demo around that same interpolation and wrote it specifically with Drake in mind. He also points to a past connection, noting he was previously listed as a co-writer alongside Drake on Beyoncé’s 2022 track “Heated.”
The Lawsuit Against Drake Hinges On Stems And Metadata
According to Billboard, the complaint claims Hirschfield sent his finished demo to FNZ and other producers in Drake’s orbit and never heard back. He says he first heard “Janice STFU” when Iceman hit streaming platforms. “15 seconds in, Avi was stunned to hear Drake perform word-for-word, note-for-note, beat-by-beat, the exact same chorus that he (Avi) had recorded and sent,” the complaint reads.
Since the song’s release, Hirschfield says he has asked for a co-writer credit and publishing splits. The lawsuit alleges Drake’s lawyers “shamelessly refuse to acknowledge Avi’s authorship,” maintaining that Drake wrote the chorus on his own even after Hirschfield provided his stems and metadata. The complaint also takes aim at a position it says Drake’s side has taken, that Hirschfield manipulated the metadata in his files to make it look like his work came first. “Such a deception would constitute career suicide by Avi,” the filing states.
Hirschfield is bringing copyright infringement claims against Drake, his company OVO Sound, and Universal Music Group, the parent of Drake’s label Republic Records and his publisher Universal Music Publishing Group. He is seeking a share of the profits from the song, alleging Drake “robbed Avi of the reputational benefits and substantial compensation he deserves for his contribution to Drake’s biggest hit in many years.” Reps for UMG had not responded to Billboard’s request for comment at the time of publication.
Drake’s team wasted no time responding, and their statements leave no room for interpretation. “Let us be absolutely clear: These allegations are categorically, unequivocally and completely denied,” a rep told Billboard. “There is not one iota of truth to these accusations, and we reject every attempt to portray these claims as established facts.” The statement continued, “We firmly believe this lawsuit is a manufactured and baseless attempt to exploit Drake’s name, reputation and success for financial gain and attention.” TMZ reported that the team added that “Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person, full stop.”
The stakes are high given how big the song has been. “Janice STFU” spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, Drake’s longest reign on the list.
