Additional Coverage:
- Eminem’s former sound engineer charged with selling the rapper’s unreleased music for Bitcoin (fortune.com)
A former sound engineer for rap superstar Eminem has been charged with stealing and selling the artist’s unreleased music for Bitcoin. Federal prosecutors allege that 46-year-old Joseph Strange sold 25 unfinished tracks to a Canadian buyer online for approximately $50,000 worth of the cryptocurrency. The alleged theft occurred during Strange’s employment at Eminem’s Michigan-based music studio, Effigy, where he worked from 2007 to 2021.
Strange’s lawyer, Wade Fink, emphasized that the charges are merely allegations that have yet to be tested in court. However, a spokesperson for Eminem stressed the significant damage done to the artist’s legacy, creative integrity, and potential earnings, as well as the impact on other collaborators involved in the unreleased music.
According to the complaint, Strange is reportedly deeply involved in Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining, and insisted on cryptocurrency as the sole payment method for the stolen tracks. This isn’t the first time Eminem’s music has been prematurely leaked. In 2002, pre-release piracy of tracks from “The Eminem Show” forced an early release of the album to mitigate financial losses.