Drake has denied claims that he stole the hook for “Janice STFU” from his ICEMAN album after an alleged reference track surfaced online, with songwriter Avi Hirschfield claiming the chorus was used without permission, per hiphopwired.com.
The dispute centres on “Janice STFU,” a track from Drake’s album ICEMAN, released in 2026. The album also includes “Shabang,” now the official opening theme for WWE NXT, “Ran To Atlanta” with Future, and “Whisper My Name”.
Hirschfield alleges he wrote the hook for “Janice STFU” and uploaded an early demo in January 2026 after discovering a beat online produced by FNZ. FNZ is also credited as a producer on Drake’s version of the track.
According to the claim, FNZ sent Hirschfield’s version to Drake, which later became the released recording. Hirschfield is seeking a share of the song’s earnings, arguing the commercial success is driven principally by the chorus.
In court filings, Hirschfield alleges the chorus is a direct copy of his work. “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,” the filing states.
A representative for Drake has rejected the allegation. ” Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person, full stop,” the representative said.
The claim is the latest reference track controversy involving the Toronto rapper, who has faced similar disputes over writing credits earlier in his career.
Context Paragraph: Reference tracks and writing disputes have long been a flashpoint in hip-hop, where hooks and melodies can determine publishing and royalty splits. The outcome of the case could have implications for credit attribution on ICEMAN, one of the year’s most high-profile releases.