A former sound engineer for renowned rapper Eminem has been accused of leaking and selling around 25 unreleased songs online, federal prosecutors announced. Joseph Strange, aged 46, from Holly, Michigan, was employed at Eminem’s studio near Detroit until he was let go in 2021. Despite a severance agreement prohibiting him from distributing the musician’s work digitally, Strange allegedly sold these tracks, written between 1999 and 2018 but still under development, earning approximately $50,000 in Bitcoin. The investigation began when current studio employees noticed unauthorized versions of Eminem's music circulating on platforms like Reddit and YouTube.

In January, an alarming discovery prompted action as staff members identified certain audio files being shared without permission. These tracks were recognized as belonging to hard drives stored securely within Eminem’s Ferndale studio, which are intentionally kept offline to safeguard intellectual property. Authorities quickly traced the sales back to Strange, who now faces charges related to copyright infringement and the interstate transportation of stolen goods.

Joseph Strange worked at Eminem’s studio for four years before his employment ended in 2021. As part of his severance deal, he agreed not to electronically distribute any of Eminem’s creations. However, investigators found that Strange violated this agreement by selling roughly two dozen tracks over several years. Prosecutors claim these compositions represent works in progress spanning nearly two decades of Eminem’s career.

Law enforcement became involved after employees at Eminem’s studio discovered unauthorized versions of his music appearing online. Recognizing these tracks as unreleased material stored on secure studio hard drives, they promptly reported the matter to the FBI. According to court documents, the affected recordings belong to Interscope Capital Labels Group, which holds ownership rights over Eminem’s musical catalog.

The case highlights concerns about protecting artists' creative properties even after their departure from studios or companies. It also underscores challenges faced by musicians trying to maintain control over unfinished projects while navigating digital distribution channels. Moving forward, legal proceedings will determine whether Strange violated federal laws regarding intellectual property protection.