Did Drake Steal “Janice STFU”?

A lawsuit alleging Drake stole the chorus for “Janice STFU” took a turn overnight, when the reference track at the heart of the dispute leaked on X. The track was recorded by plaintiff Aviel Hirschfield, a Grammy-nominated songwriter who, like Drake, contributed to Beyoncé’s “Heated.” His hand in the Iceman hit, however, is up for debate: Despite clear similarities between the reference track and finished song, Drake’s team strongly denies anyone else was involved in writing “Janice STFU.” A legal representative for Hirschfield confirmed to Pitchfork that the leaked recording—which is public as an exhibit in the lawsuit—matches the one submitted as evidence. Complex was the first outlet to report on the leak.

Hirschfield claims he sent his vocal take—which introduces the prominent interpolation of Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”—to production duo FnZ, as well as other Drake associates, in the hope of reaching the rapper. When the finished song came out, the lawsuit claims, “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.” Hirschfield says he asked for a co-writer credit and retroactive publishing splits but was turned away. He claims his metadata will prove his work on the track pre-dates Drake’s.

Drake’s team said he has “no connection or knowledge” of Hirschfield, adding in a statement to Billboard, “Let us be absolutely clear: These allegations are categorically, unequivocally and completely denied. There is not one iota of truth to these accusations, and we reject every attempt to portray these claims as established facts.” Drake’s label, Universal Music Group, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. “Janice STFU,” which spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 this spring, is the rapper’s biggest hit in years.

The chorus in the leaked track begins around the 45-second mark.

Jazz Monroe is a music and culture writer based in London. His work also appears in The Guardian, The Independent, and elsewhere. ... Read More