The latest track by Drake, titled “Janice STFU,” has become a massive success. However, a recent lawsuit alleges that the hook of the song was plagiarized, a claim vehemently denied by Drake’s team.
Filed on October 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit asserts that the chorus was penned by Aviel (Avi) Hirschfield, a Grammy Award-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 “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li, an artist previously sampled by Drake. He then recorded a demo featuring his vocals over an audio file produced by FnZ, a duo known for their work with Drake, and shared it with several individuals in hopes of it reaching Drake.
The lawsuit claims that Hirschfield was shocked to hear Drake perform a chorus identical to the one he had recorded and distributed to FnZ and other producers associated with Drake in the song “Janice STFU.”
Drake’s team refutes these allegations, labeling them as completely baseless.
The comparison between the two tracks can be assessed by listening to the leaked version created by Hirschfield online and comparing it to the official video of “Janice STFU” released by Drake.
“Janice STFU” debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in May. This track marks Drake’s 14th chart-topping hit, breaking his tie with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist.
As a gesture of apology, Drake hosted a series of events to apologize to individuals named Janice who felt targeted by the song.
Hirschfield did not receive a co-writing credit and was denied a portion of the song’s profits. Drake’s representatives have stated that there is no association or awareness of Hirschfield, firmly denying the allegations.
Universal Music Group, also implicated in the lawsuit, has not yet issued a response to CBC News’ request for comment.
