Did Drake Steal “Janice STFU”?

A recording at the centre of a lawsuit alleging Drake stole the chorus of “Janice STFU” has leaked on X. The dispute matters because the song was Drake’s biggest hit in years, and the recording appears to share clear similarities with its chorus, though the claims remain contested.

Plaintiff Aviel Hirschfield, a Grammy-nominated songwriter who also contributed to Beyoncé’s “Heated”, says he sent his vocal take to producers and Drake associates, then sought co-writer credit and publishing splits after the song was released. His lawyer confirmed the leaked recording matches the version submitted as evidence in the lawsuit; Hirschfield says metadata will show his work came first. Drake denies knowing Hirschfield or having any connection to him, and rejects the allegations; his label, Universal Music Group, is also named as a defendant. “Janice STFU” spent two weeks at number one on the Hot 100 this spring.