A man has been charged with stealing and selling unreleased Eminem music that leaked to the web earlier this year.
Federal prosecutors charged former Eminem employee Joseph Strange with copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods after he allegedly sold the rapper’s music to individuals who put more than 25 songs online in January.
In a statement shared with Variety, Eminem’s longtime spokesperson Dennis Dennehy said that the rapper is pleased with the latest development in the case. “Eminem and his team are very appreciative of the efforts by the FBI Detroit bureau for its thorough investigation which led to the charges against Joe Strange,” he said. “The significant damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem’s artistic legacy and creative integrity cannot be overstated, let alone the enormous financial losses incurred by the many creators and collaborators that deserve protection for their decades of work. We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem’s art and will stop at nothing to do so.”
According to a criminal complaint filed today and reviewed by Variety, Strange was a former sound engineer for Eminem from 2007 until 2021 who worked at a recording studio in Ferndale, Mich., and had access to the music that leaked. After tracks hit the web in January, several studio employees contacted the FBI upon discovering that the unreleased music was available online.
The FBI identified multiple individuals who had purchased the unreleased music including one named Doja Rat, who said he paid Strange $50,000 for songs. Doja Rat stated that Strange claimed to have over 300 songs and handwritten lyric sheets. The FBI also identified several other individuals including Kali Kush and ATL who were involved in a group purchase of Eminem songs.
FBI agents searched Strange’s residence on Jan. 28 and seized hard drives that had copies of Eminem’s unreleased music. Financial records revealed payments to Strange for the music that was sold. The filing states that over Eminem 25 songs, recorded between 1999 and 2018, made it onto the Internet without his consent. Additionally, Eminem’s manager John Fisher told FBI officials that Strange did not have the authority to possess the files.
From Variety US