Drake Denies Stealing “Janice STFU” Hook After Alleged Reference Track Surfaces

Source: Mike Marsland/WireImage / Mike Marsland/WireImage

Drake is no stranger to reference tracks, and now another one has surface amid a legal back-and-forth over his music.

The OVO rapper released his long-awaited album, ICEMAN, this year, delivering records like “Shabang,” “Ran To Atlanta,” and “Whisper My Name.”

Each track has made noise for different reasons. “Shabang” became the official opening theme for WWE NXT, while “Ran To Atlanta” marked the first time Drake and Future had released music together in years. The record also sparked conversation over its alleged response to Kendrick Lamar, but that’s a story for another day.

Then there’s “Whisper My Name,” where Drizzy addresses multiple people, including allegedly taking shots at JAŸ-Z.

However, one record on ICEMAN that continues to make headlines is “Janice STFU.” After Drake jokingly threw an apology party for women name Janice, courtesy of The Boy, the track is not the center of a legal dispute.

Songwriter Avi Hirschfield claims he wrote the song’s hook and that Drake used it without permission. Hirschfield reportedly uploaded an early demo of his version in January 2026 after discovering the beat online, which he says was produced by FNZ.

FNZ is also credited as one of the producers on Drake’s “Janice STFU.” According to Hirschfield’s allegations, the producer sent his version of the song to Drake, setting the stage for what would eventually become the ICEMAN rappers track.

In his lawsuit, Avi argues that he deserves a share of the song’s earnings, pointing to its commercial success and claiming that the hook he wrote is the key element that caught listener’s attention. He also alleges that Drake’s version uses his hook word for word.

“The immense success of Janice STFU is due principally to the song’s chorus, which is a literal, word-for-word, note-for-note taking.”

Drake’s representative. however, has firmly denied the allegations, dismissing claims that the rapper obtained the song’s lyrics from someone else.

“Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person, full stop.”