A former engineer who worked with Eminem has been charged with stealing the rapper’s unreleased music and attempting to sell it online, according to federal prosecutors. Investigators reported that over 25 of Eminem’s songs were shared on various platforms without permission from him or his record label, Interscope Capital Labels Group. The music was kept secure on password-protected hard drives in a safe at Eminem’s studio located in Ferndale, Michigan.
Joseph Strange, 46, from Holly, Michigan, faces serious charges including copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods. If found guilty, he could spend up to 15 years in prison. Strange had previously lost his job at Eminem’s studio in 2021, and his attorney described him as a committed family man and veteran of the music industry. He characterized the charges as “untested allegations” yet to be reviewed by a grand jury or a judge.
The theft was reported to the FBI by studio employees back in January after they discovered that unreleased tracks were being streamed on multiple websites, including Reddit and YouTube. Investigators traced the transfer of music files from a secured hard drive to an external drive during the time Strange was employed at the studio.
A business associate of Eminem, Fred Nassar, alerted fans not to share the stolen music, leading to the identification of buyers. One Canadian buyer, using the name Doja Rat, admitted to purchasing 25 unreleased songs from Strange for approximately $50,000 in Bitcoin, funding the purchase through contributions from other Eminem fans. Strange was also reportedly trying to sell handwritten lyric sheets from the rapper.
An FBI raid on Strange’s home revealed a wealth of incriminating material, including numerous lyric sheets, an unreleased video on VHS, and hard drives containing 12,000 audio files featuring various stages of Eminem’s music. Notably, Strange had signed an agreement prohibiting him from distributing the rapper’s work when he left the studio.
The Acting U.S. Attorney, Julie Beck, emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property. She stated, “Safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators is critical to preventing unauthorized reproduction and distribution by those looking to profit from the creative works of others.”
