Drake Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Janice STFU’ as Major Music Cases Hit the Courts
Drake has been sued over claims that his single 'Janice STFU' copied an unreleased demo, drawing a forceful rebuttal from his legal team alleging forged evidence. The lawsuit comes alongside several major entertainment rulings, including the sentencing of Duane 'Keffe D' Davis in the murder of Tupac Shakur and a Supreme Court victory for artist rights.
Drake is navigating a high-stakes copyright battle after a songwriter filed suit alleging the superstar ripped off the hook for his single 'Janice STFU,' according to reporting published by Billboard.
The lawsuit, brought by Aviel Calev Hirschfield, claims that Drake's chart-topping track copied eight lines of lyrics directly from an earlier demo he shared with production duo FNZ. In the complaint, Hirschfield argues the single uses an identical hook that copies his work note-for-note and word-for-word. Drake's representatives have pushed back sharply against the claims, issuing a statement describing the lawsuit as a manufactured and baseless effort to exploit his name. In court filings reported by Billboard, Drake's legal team asserted that he authored the song independently with no prior knowledge of Hirschfield, while alleging that the plaintiff manipulated digital metadata to fabricate evidence.
The dispute over 'Janice STFU' arrives alongside a series of major legal milestones across the music industry. In Las Vegas, former gang leader Duane 'Keffe D' Davis was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for his role in orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, according to Billboard's review of court actions.
At the nation's highest judicial level, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected an appeal brought by major record labels seeking to overturn Cyril Vetter's legal victory. The ruling leaves intact a precedent extending copyright termination rights internationally, despite label arguments that the measure would disrupt the record business.
Other notable figures across R&B and hip-hop also saw substantial courtroom movement. Mariah Carey secured the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by her brother concerning passages in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, singer Summer Walker is embroiled in dual legal actions, fighting Interscope over California's statutory seven-year labor limit while separately suing management company LVRN over allegations of skimming funds and fraud, Billboard reported.
In addition, rapper Cordae faces a lawsuit alleging that his collaborative record with Anderson.Paak, titled Heavy is the Crown, violates his existing record agreement. In Chicago, Chance the Rapper obtained a legal judgment potentially totaling around $1.5 million in his protracted contract battle against his former manager, Pat Corcoran.
Billboard also noted other resolved and ongoing actions across the docket. The estate of Drakeo the Ruler finalized a settlement with Live Nation and co-defendants over his fatal 2021 backstage stabbing at an exposition park in Los Angeles. Separately, Ye was ordered by a court to pay $321,000 to an injured contractor who worked on his Malibu property, and Beyoncé's corporate team asked a federal judge to dismiss an active sample infringement case regarding her Renaissance track 'Alien Superstar' and issue sanctions against the opposing party.