Drake ‘Janice STFU’ Copyright Lawsuit Dropped After A Few Days

Photo Credit: Drake / Instagram

A producer’s lawsuit against Drake over his hit “Janice STFU” has been voluntarily dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled.

Producer Aviel Hirschfield’s copyright claim against Drake over his hit “Janice STFU” has been voluntarily dismissed after a little over a week. Hirschfield has dismissed the lawsuit “in its entirety without prejudice,” meaning it could be modified and refiled in the future. The circumstances leading to the dismissal have yet to be revealed.

The lawsuit also named Drake’s OVO Sound and Universal Music Group as codefendants, alleging that Hirschfield had sent a recording to producers in Drake’s circle before the song was released but received no credit or payment for his “substantial contributions.”

The Grammy-winning producer claimed that he composed the song’s chorus between December and January, finishing the recording around January 25 and registering the work with the Copyright Office in July. But by then, Drake’s track had already been released.

“Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person, full stop,” a representative for Drake said previously.

However, while Drake and Hirschfield may have never met, they have worked in the same orbit. Hirschfield co-wrote and produced Beyoncé’s “Heated,” for which Drake is also credited.

Hirchfield alleged that the chorus he sent Drake’s team and the final product are “literally identical” across their lyrics, melody, and cadence. He even cited metadata on the recording to prove his involvement, but Drake’s team claimed that Hirschfield had manipulated the metadata and sent him a cease-and-desist letter demanding he stop publicly claiming ownership or involvement.

“Janice STFU” has been Drake’s biggest hit from the three albums he released this year. It’s also been one of the hottest tracks of 2026, debuting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It also spent over 20 weeks at the top of the Hot Rap Songs chart, becoming Drake’s longest-leading rap chart hit.

The Toronto hitmaker celebrated his 40th birthday over the weekend with over 400 guests at New York’s Casa Cipriani. There, he gave away million-dollar prizes and surprised guests with a performance by the Backstreet Boys, who Drake joined onstage for their 1999 hit, “I Want It That Way.”