Well, well, here's a case straight out of a hip-hop heist movie! A former sound engineer for Eminem, Joseph Strange, has been charged with leaking and selling the rapper’s unreleased songs for Bitcoin—about $50,000 worth, to be exact. Strange, who worked at Eminem’s Ferndale, Michigan studio until 2021, allegedly violated a severance agreement that banned him from distributing Eminem’s work. Investigators uncovered more than just leaked tracks—Eminem's handwritten lyric sheets and even an unreleased VHS music video were found in Strange’s home safe. An Eminem superfan, known online as "Doja Rat," admitted to buying 25 tracks and raising funds from an Eminem fan group to do so. The FBI traced the leaked music back to tightly secured studio hard drives, which only four employees had access to—Strange being the only one no longer on the payroll. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years behind bars and a hefty fine. As Eminem’s rep put it, this leak caused “significant damage” not just to Eminem, but to the many creators involved in his work.

Key Points:

• Who’s Charged? Joseph Strange, 46, a former sound engineer for Eminem, is accused of copyright infringement and interstate transport of stolen goods.
• What Happened? Prosecutors say Strange sold 25 unreleased Eminem songs, recorded between 1999 and 2018, for around $50,000 in Bitcoin.
• How Was He Caught? FBI agents traced the leaked music back to Eminem’s secure studio hard drives after fans and employees noticed the unauthorized release in early 2025.
• Who Bought the Music? An Eminem superfan from Ontario, Canada, known as "Doja Rat," says he raised money from other fans to buy the leaked tracks.
• Evidence Found: FBI agents discovered Eminem’s handwritten lyrics, a VHS tape of an unreleased music video, and other unreleased materials inside Strange’s home safe.
• Potential Penalties: Strange faces up to 10 years in prison for transportation of stolen goods and up to 5 years for copyright infringement, plus a fine of up to $250,000.
• Eminem’s Reaction: His camp condemned the breach, calling it a significant betrayal that caused “enormous financial losses.”

This case marks another example of how digital leaks and crypto-fueled music sales are disrupting the industry. What would Eminem himself say? Maybe something like: "Nowadays everybody wanna talk like they got something to say, but nothing comes out when they move their lips... unless it's from a stolen track."
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