Former Eminem Employee Accused of Leaking Unreleased Music

A former employee of Eminem has been arrested by the FBI after a collection of unreleased tracks from the Detroit rap legend appeared online earlier this year.

Joseph Strange, 46, from Holly, Michigan, now faces a possible 10-year prison sentence after being charged with criminal copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

According to the FBI, Strange received approximately $50,000 in Bitcoin from a Canadian man, who allegedly organized a group of Eminem fans to raise the funds, the Detroit Free Press reported. This money was paid in exchange for the unauthorized release of the rapper's unreleased songs.

Representatives for Eminem said Wednesday that the unauthorized music leak was "significant damage caused by a trusted employee."

FBI officials in Detroit have confirmed that Strange was behind the leak of at least 25 unreleased Eminem tracks, which surfaced online in January. These songs, recorded between 1999 and 2018, were in varying stages of development.

The music files were among the thousands discovered on hard drives at Strange's suburban Detroit residence, according to the FBI.

The leaked tracks likely included the song "Smack You," which gained attention in January for its controversial lyrics targeting hip-hop mogul Suge Knight and rapper Ja Rule.

A spokesperson for Eminem stated that the track was part of "studio efforts never meant for public consumption," describing the leaked music as "demos, experiments and ideas that are dated and not relevant so many years later."

On Jan. 28, the FBI conducted a search at Strange's home, where they recovered hard drives filled with thousands of audio files, including tracks by Eminem and his collaborators. Agents also found handwritten lyrics and notes stored securely in a safe, as well as a videotape containing an unreleased music video by Eminem.

In a statement provided Wednesday to the Detroit Free Press, the rapper's spokesman said "Eminem and his team are very appreciative of the efforts by the FBI Detroit bureau for its thorough investigation" leading to the charges against Strange.

"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," the statement continued.

"We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem's art and will stop at nothing to do so."

Strange served as an audio engineer at Eminem's Effigy recording studio in Ferndale from 2007 until he was let go in 2021. His brother, Mike Strange, has worked alongside Eminem for over two decades and remains employed at the studio. The FBI reported that Joseph was one of four staff members who had access to password-protected hard drives containing Eminem's music, securely stored at the Ferndale location.

The FBI's investigation into the leak of Eminem's music started after Fredwreck, a producer for Dr. Dre and Eminem, posted a warning in a since-deleted X post, writing: "To the criminal leaking Eminem's music: we will find you. Street law will apply," according to the Detroit Free Press.

A tip from a U.K. fan led investigators to a 31-year-old Canadian internet user going by the name of "Doja Rat," who said he had bought stolen tracks from Strange. The songs matched files from a hard drive at Effigy studio. Strange reportedly sold the music for around $50,000.

If convicted on copyright infringement charges, Strange could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Additionally, a conviction for interstate transportation of stolen goods carries a maximum 10-year sentence.