Rap superstar Drake’s rollout for ICEMAN has inspired more than social media jokes. It has also sparked a heartfelt call to action from Brooklyn publicist Janice Torres of The Brand Phoenix, who is using the attention surrounding “Janice STFU” to advocate for children in her community.
After Drake secured a record-breaking #1 album release in his latest, he plans for Janice-only “Janice Apology” parties across North America in support of the song “Janice STFU.” Torres shared an open letter to the rapper on Facebook. The exclusive events, reportedly scheduled for June 28 in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto, and Houston, are expected to invite women named Janice.
Rather than treating the campaign as a punchline, Torres saw an opportunity.
“My name is Janice. Yes, legally,” she wrote. “I heard you’re inviting women named Janice to a party after ‘Janice STFU.’ If I receive an invitation, I’d love to invite you to something bigger than a party. I’d like to invite you to a purpose.”
Torres explained that she has long embraced the symbolism behind her name, drawing inspiration from Janus, the ancient Roman guardian of “beginnings, endings, transitions, time, and gateways.”
“Janus is the keeper of doors. He looks to the past while opening the future,” she wrote. “I’ve always carried that symbolism with me. My work has never been about opening doors just for myself. It’s about opening them for others.”
Brooklyn’s Janice Torres Asks Drake To Come To Library Reopening Instead Of “Janice-Only” Parties In Support Of Iceman’s “Janice STFU”
That mission led Torres to invite Drake to support the reopening of the library at P.S. 273 in East New York, Brooklyn, where she works with an elementary school serving predominantly Black children. The library has remained closed for nearly two years because of construction.
“I want their first day back to feel unforgettable,” she wrote, describing a vision that includes “fresh paint,” “comfortable reading spaces,” “beautiful furniture,” and “thousands of diverse books where every child can see themselves reflected.”
Torres stressed that her appeal was never personal.
“I’m not asking for anything for myself,” she wrote. “I’m asking for help building a space that could change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
She closed with a playful reference to Drake’s album title, noting that “the last three letters of JanICE are ICE,” before making one final request:
“If one Janice gets the opportunity to ask for something, this Janice is asking for a library. Not for me. For the children who will walk through those doors this September and discover that books can open worlds no construction project ever could.”
No word on whether Drake has commented on the post at this time. More Janice Apology parties on the way.
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