Drake Janice STFU: He accuses Drake of stealing his hit
Summary
A Los Angeles court, a case file, a sealed chorus. Five months after Iceman dropped, the era’s hottest hit freezes in its tracks. A producer claims he wrote the hook for “Janice STFU” — and Drake responds with a frosty denial.
“Janice STFU,” a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, is now at the center of a copyright battle.
The case at a glance
- Complaint: filed on October 16, 2026
- Court: U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- Complainant: Aviel Calev Hirschfield, known as Avi, Grammy-winning producer
- The track: No. 1 on the Hot 100, 20 weeks at the top of Hot Rap Songs
- Claims: track profits, damages, attorney’s fees
The Janice STFU hook: a demo sent, a hit claimed
According to the complaint, Aviel Calev Hirschfield wrote the chorus between December 2025 and January 2026, over a beat by the duo FnZ. The spark? Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers,” heard on the radio while driving to Seattle. He had Drake in mind as the performer.
Around January 25, he sent his demo and stems to FnZ and other producers in Drake’s circle. Radio silence. When Iceman dropped in May, he discovered a chorus he considered “literally identical” to his own: lyrics, melody, cadence. His work was registered with the Copyright Office on July 21, 2026.
The detail heating up the case: the two men know each other. They already share a songwriting credit on Beyoncé’s “Heated” (Renaissance, 2022). FnZ, meanwhile, are listed in the official credits for “Janice STFU.” Avi is not.
The exact moment: the chorus of “Janice STFU,” the case’s number-one piece of evidence.
"Drake wrote this song, and he has no connection to this person and doesn’t know him. Period."
— Drake’s team, to TMZ (October 16, 2026)
Frosty denial: how far can this showdown go?
On OVO’s side, the temperature drops below zero. The accusations are denied “categorically, unequivocally and completely,” and the complaint is described as a fabricated attempt to extort money. Drizzy’s camp even accuses Avi of tampering with his files’ metadata and sent him a cease-and-desist letter.
The stakes are high: more than 300 million streams on Spotify, two weeks at the top of the Hot 100. No amount has been specified, and no judge has ruled yet. The precedent haunting the industry remains Blurred Lines, which cost Robin Thicke and Pharrell around $5 million, plus half of their future royalties.
ICEMAN UNDER THE ICE
The chorus that heated up the entire summer is now caught in the ice of a federal lawsuit. The question is who will thaw the other out first: the legal battle is only just beginning.
#DRAKE #JANICESTFU #ICEMAN #RADARPXP #OVO