One of Eminem’s former employees has been charged with leaking over 25 unreleased songs. It is now shaping up to be one of the bigger music-related theft cases in recent memory.
Joseph Strange, who worked as a sound engineer for Eminem from 2007 to 2021, has been hit with federal charges including copyright infringement and transporting stolen goods across state lines. According to a criminal complaint filed this week, Strange allegedly sold a stash of unreleased music including tracks recorded between 1999 and 2018 to buyers who later leaked them online.
Among those buyers was someone going by the name Doja Rat, who told the FBI he paid $50,000 for the songs. He also claimed Strange had over 300 unreleased tracks and handwritten lyrics in his possession. Others involved in the group purchase included people using alias’ like Kali Kush and ATL.
The leaks surfaced online back in January, prompting studio staff to alert the FBI. By late January, agents had searched Strange’s home and seized hard drives loaded with Eminem’s unreleased material. Financial records found also confirmed payments made in connection with the leak.
Eminem’s camp isn’t taking it lightly. In a statement to Variety, longtime spokesperson Dennis Dennehy said the rapper was “very appreciative” of the FBI’s work and described the breach as a major hit to Eminem’s creative legacy. “The damage caused by a trusted employee… cannot be overstated,” he said, pointing not just to financial losses, but the broader violation of artistic integrity.
Strange didn’t have clearance to take or distribute any of the files, according to Eminem’s manager, who confirmed he was never authorised to possess the material outside the studio.
Eminem has not since publicly addressed the leak himself, his legal team is doing all the talking. And by the sounds of things, they’re really not messing around. If convicted, Strange could be facing serious jail time and rightfully so.
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