Former Studio Engineer Charged with Stealing Unreleased Eminem Music, Selling it Online

FILE - Eminem performs during "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central," June 6, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
FILE - Eminem performs during "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central," June 6, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
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Former Studio Engineer Charged with Stealing Unreleased Eminem Music, Selling it Online

FILE - Eminem performs during "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central," June 6, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
FILE - Eminem performs during "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central," June 6, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

A former Eminem studio engineer was charged Wednesday with stealing the Detroit rapper's unreleased music and selling it online, federal prosecutors announced.

Investigators say more than 25 songs have been played or distributed online without the consent of Eminem or Interscope Capital Labels Group, which owns Eminem’s music, The Associated Press reported. The music was stored on password-protected hard drives kept in a safe at Eminem's studio in Ferndale, a Detroit suburb, according to an FBI affidavit.

Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan, was charged via a criminal complaint with copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods, Acting US Attorney Julie Beck in Detroit said. Strange, who lost his job at Eminem's studio in 2021, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of both counts.

Strange's attorney, Wade Fink, said in a text to AP that Strange is a married father of two “with decades of dedication to the music industry.″ He called the charges “untested allegations” that haven't been vetted by a grand jury or a judge.

“We will handle the matter in a courtroom and we have great faith in the judges of our district,” he said.

Studio employees reported the theft to the FBI in January, saying unreleased music that was still in development was being played on various websites, including Reddit and YouTube.

A review showed someone transferred files from a hard drive in a safe to an external hard drive in October 2019 and January 2020, when Strange was a sound engineer at the studio.
Investigators found buyers after Eminem business associate Fred Nassar posted an online warning to fans not to distribute the music.

A Canadian resident who used the screen name Doja Rat told investigators he had purchased 25 unreleased songs from Strange for about $50,000 in Bitcoin. He said he raised the money from a group of fans of Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III.

Strange also was trying to sell some of Eminem's handwritten lyric sheets, Doja Rat said.
Another group of fans organized by someone in Connecticut using the screen name ATL also purchased a “couple” of songs from Strange for about $1,000, according to the affidavit.
An FBI search of Strange's home in January turned up numerous handwritten Eminem lyric sheets and notes; a VHS tape of an unreleased Eminem video; and hard drives with 12,000 audio files. Some of the files contained music in various stages of development by Eminem and unidentified artists working with him, according to the affidavit.

Eminem won for best hip-hop act at the 2024 MTV EMAs and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

The affidavit notes that Strange signed an agreement as part of his severance package that specifically prohibited him from electronically circulating Eminem's work.
“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” Beck said in a news release.



Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker Chosen for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 

Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker Chosen for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 

Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)

"The Twist" singer Chubby Checker, pop star Cyndi Lauper and grunge rock band Soundgarden were among the acts chosen for induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest announced the 2025 inductees during the ABC singing competition show on Sunday.

Others selected for the Rock Hall in Cleveland included English rock group Bad Company, hip-hop act Outkast, rock and blues singer Joe Cocker and garage rock duo The White Stripes.

The artists will be inducted during a ceremony that will stream live on Disney+ from Los Angeles on Nov. 8.

Inductees were chosen by fans and industry experts. Artists must have released their first recording at least 25 years ago to be eligible.

A singer and dancer, the now 83-year-old Checker was known for popularizing various dance styles including the twist and the limbo in the 1960s.

Bad Company came together in 1973 and recorded hits such as the self-titled "Bad Company".

British singer Cocker made the music charts with songs such as "You are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong" with Jennifer Warnes, and was known for his legendary cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" performed at Woodstock.

Lauper, 71, stood out in the 1980s during the heyday of music videos with her colorful hair and outfits and upbeat songs such as "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

Soundgarden, part of the 1990s grunge rock scene in Seattle, was led by Chris Cornell, who died by suicide in 2017.

"Hey Ya!" band Outkast was formed in Atlanta by Big Boi and Andre 3000 in 1992. The White Stripes, from Detroit, led a resurgence of garage rock in the 2000s.