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Drake is facing a copyright lawsuit from a Grammy-winning producer who alleges that the rapper used his lyrics, melody and cadence for the hit song Janice STFU without permission. Drake’s representatives deny the accusations, calling the lawsuit baseless.
Aviel Calev Hirschfield, known professionally as Avi, filed the complaint on Friday, Oct. 16, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The defendants named in the lawsuit include Drake, OVO Sound, UMG Recordings and Universal Music Publishing.
What the lawsuit alleges
Hirschfield claims he wrote an eight-line chorus between December 2025 and January 2026 over an instrumental created by production duo FnZ. According to the complaint, he developed the lyrics with Drake in mind after hearing Lykke Li’s I Follow Rivers while driving to Seattle.
He says he completed a recording around Jan. 25 and shared it with FnZ and other producers in Drake’s professional circle but received no response.
Hirschfield alleges that he first heard Janice STFU around May 15 and was surprised by what he describes as an identical chorus in its lyrics, melody and cadence. He registered his work with the U.S. Copyright Office, effective July 21, 2026, according to the filing.
The producer further claims that he supplied Drake’s representatives with audio stems containing their original metadata while seeking songwriting credit and a share of the publishing rights. He alleges those requests were rejected.
According to the complaint, Drake’s camp maintained that the rapper wrote the hook himself, challenged Hirschfield’s metadata and sent him a cease-and-desist letter over his public authorship claims.
Drake’s representatives deny the claims
A representative for Drake told TMZ that the allegations were categorically denied, describing the lawsuit as a manufactured attempt to exploit the rapper’s name and success for money and attention.
The representative also stated that Drake wrote the song and had no connection to or knowledge of Hirschfield.
FnZ are credited as co-writers on Janice STFU, which also interpolates I Follow Rivers. The court has not determined whether the allegations of copyright infringement are valid.
Why Janice STFU matters
The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for two weeks, according to the supplied report. It also spent 20 weeks atop the Hot Rap Songs chart and surpassed 300 million Spotify streams.
Those reported achievements make the dispute significant for the song’s credited creators and publishing interests.
What the producer is seeking
Hirschfield is seeking profits connected to the alleged infringement, actual or enhanced statutory damages, interest and attorneys’ fees. Representatives for UMG had not immediately responded to requests for comment at the time of the original report.
The lawsuit remains unresolved. Hirschfield’s claims have not been proven, and Drake’s representatives have denied wrongdoing. Any determination of copyright infringement will depend on the legal process and evidence presented to the court.
SOURCE: TMZ
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