Eminem's former employee charged with stealing & selling unreleased music from the Detroit legend

In January 2025, dozens of unreleased Eminem songs surfaced on the internet. Em is no stranger to leaks and has been a victim of this several times in the past. But this time it was different. These songs were part of a huge collection and most of them were partly developed tracks, not intended for public consumption at the time.

After the leaked songs went viral online, Eminem’s longtime collaborator and friend Fredwreck spoke out against it. He took to his social media to warn the perpetrator, writing, "FYI to the criminal who’s leaking the Eminem music. We will find you. Street law will be applied…Yes this is a threat."

At the time, Em’s fans didn’t understand the severity of the issue, but Fredwreck’s post made it clear that his team wouldn't take this lightly. When the leaks surfaced, Em’s team contacted the FBI. No one’s intellectual property should be violated like this, let alone a global superstar who treats his craft with love and passion.

After nearly two months of investigation, the culprit has been found and charged. The FBI reported that the person responsible for the leaks was Em’s former employee Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan. Strange was one of the engineers working for the Detroit legend in his Ferndale studio and was an employee from 2007 to 2021.

He is charged with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods. A person who goes by the name “Doja Rat” on the internet purchased the songs for $50,000 and paid in Bitcoins over six months. After that transaction, the songs started to surface on the internet. In late January, when the FBI agents searched Strange’s home, they found evidence against him.

A hard drive with over 12,000 audio files, a VHS tape with unreleased music, and several original handwritten lyrics by Em was found in his house. If Strange is convicted of the criminal infringement of copyright charges, he will face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He might get up to 10 years in prison for the interstate transportation of stolen goods.

Eminem’s spokesperson Dennis Dennehy told 7 News Detroit, “Eminem and his team are very appreciative of the efforts by the FBI Detroit bureau for its thorough investigation which led to the charges against Joe 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. We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem's art and will stop at nothing to do so," he concluded.

Em is known for holding his music close to his chest. But despite his efforts to protect his work, he has faced such violations several times now.