EMINEM’S former employee pleads guilty to a federal charge for stealing the rapper’s songs for US$50 000.
On Thursday, the US Attorney’s Office of Eastern District of Michigan announced that Joseph Strange, a former worker for Eminem, pleaded guilty to criminal infringement of copyright in federal court after reproducing and selling unreleased music created by the Detroit rapper.
Prosecutors say Strange allegedly stole unreleased tracks from Em, born Marshall Mathers, and sold them online.
“Joseph Strange abused a position of trust to unlawfully copy and sell unreleased music belonging to Eminem, profiting from works that were not yet authorised for public distribution,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement.
“His conduct undermined both legal and artistic rights. The Criminal Division remains committed to protecting intellectual property, holding accountable those who seek to profit from theft of creative content and working with our law enforcement partners to deter and disrupt these crimes.”
Prosecutors say Joseph Strange worked as a sound engineer for Eminem from 2007 to 2021 and had access to the rapper’s music files.
They alleged that Strange had sold at least 10 unreleased tracks sometime between July and August of 2024 for a total of US$50 000.
An Eminem associate then contacted the FBI after discovering the music had leaked, sparking an ongoing investigation.
On January 28, 2025, FBI agents raided Strange’s home and discovered numerous original handwritten lyrics and recorded material by Em inside a safe.
Authorities also seized hard drives containing audio tracks some belonging to the Detroit rhymer and some by his collaborators.
According to prosecutors, the infringement amount of the stolen files is estimated to be at least US$750 000.
Strange is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. — XXL Magazine
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Ye plans fashion show at Yeezy flagship store in Los Angeles
YE is reportedly planning a fashion show at the new Yeezy store in Los Angeles to showcase the brand’s newest designs.
A report from Puck published on Wednesday cites a source with direct knowledge of the situation, noting that a date has not yet been set.
Ye has not publicly showcased Yeezy designs in such a way for some years now.
His last major fashion show was for Yeezy Season 9 in Paris in October 2022.
He did do a Season 10 show in Los Angeles the following year, but it was much more low-profile and did not showcase very much.
Should the latest rumour be true, fans will likely see some new footwear on the runway.
Back in August, Ye hit his Instagram Story to preview several military-inspired boots and the Yeezy 800.
The all-black sneaker features a layered design with mesh, leather and suede across the upper, along with a chunky sole that continues the mesh look around the bottom of the shoe.
The rugged designs resemble some of the footwear released during earlier Yeezy collections, leading fans to speculate that the brand could be revisiting some of its signature aesthetics while introducing new silhouettes.
After spending the last four years largely absent from traditional retail stores, the brand made its return through JD Stores with the release of its Yeezy Slides over the summer. The launch marked one of the biggest milestones for the company since its retail distribution came to a halt following Ye’s split from Adidas in 2022. — XXL Magazine
