Drake’s copyright lawsuit over “Janice STFU” has been dismissed after songwriter and producer Aviel Hirschfield withdrew his complaint, bringing the legal dispute to an end roughly 10 days after it was filed. The lawsuit alleged that the song’s chorus copied lyrics and melody from a demo Hirschfield had created for the rapper.
As reported by Rolling Stone, Hirschfield voluntarily withdrew the case, which had accused Drake and other defendants of using his work without credit or compensation. The songwriter claimed that the chorus of “Janice STFU” was identical to the one he developed in a demo between December 2025 and January 2026. The complaint also alleged that Drake and the other defendants maintained that the rapper had written the chorus himself.
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According to the original lawsuit, Hirschfield drew inspiration from Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers” while developing the demo. The legal action centered on the similarities in both the lyrics and melody, with the songwriter claiming that his contribution had been used without authorization or acknowledgment. However, the withdrawal means the case will not proceed through the litigation process.
The dispute emerged after “Janice STFU” became one of the biggest commercial successes from Drake’s latest studio album, Iceman. Released on May 15 as the project’s fourth track, the song was serviced to U.S. rhythmic contemporary radio on May 19 as the album’s second single. It subsequently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, extending Drake’s record-setting run of chart-topping hits.
The track marked his 14th No. 1 on the Hot 100 and his 10th song to debut directly at the summit. It also became his first song to spend multiple weeks at No. 1 since “In My Feelings,” which dominated the chart for 10 weeks in 2018.
Iceman also opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 463,000 equivalent album units in the United States. The result tied Drake with Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist, with 15 each. Additionally, Habibti and Maid of Honour debuted at Nos. 2 and 3, making Drake the first artist to occupy the chart’s entire Top 3 simultaneously.
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