Icons in their own fields, Eminem and LeBron James are teaming up for the Paramount+ documentary How Music Got Free. The Hollywood Reporter describes the new docuseries as “a fascinating, often hilarious, inside look at the tech-driven upheaval that transformed music in the late '90s and early 2000s,” offering a unique perspective from two influential figures.
“File-sharing technology combined with an insatiable demand for new music has given millions of young people the means and incentive to participate in and be glorified at blatant theft,” reads the film's official synopsis.
A new trailer was released on Tuesday (May 21), giving a first look at the film and a glimpse of what's to come. In the trailer, Eminem shares his thoughts for the first time, detailing how the concept of the internet was foreign to him in the late '90s. Still, the concept of music piracy was one that threatened his career as a musician and others who worked for him, so Eminem was forced to take notice.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 25: Rapper Marshall “Eminem” Mathers claps during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza on April 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
“When Napster came out, I didn't understand the internet yet,” the Detroit MC says in the trailer. “I thought Yahoos were people… What you don't understand is that if music should be free, then I have a whole bunch of people who need a paycheck.”
The trailer also features appearances from some notable music figures, including Timbaland, 50 Cent, Steve Stout, Jimmy Iovine, Roxi Diaz and Rhymefest.
“How Music Got Free” was co-produced by LeBron James and Eminem, and Alex Stapleton directed the documentary series. Stapleton explained Paramount's vision for the documentary series: “As a filmmaker, I wanted to challenge the narrow view of who we think of as tech innovators. How Music Got Free is a story that proves that brilliant minds can be found in unlikely places, like the forgotten factory town of rural Shelby, North Carolina.”
Warner Bros. Unscripted Television will produce the film in conjunction with Revlon's SpringHill banner, Interscope Films and Em's Shady Films. The project will premiere on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada on June 11, before being released internationally on June 12.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers watches Game 1 of the 2023 WNBA Playoff Finals between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena on October 8, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Liberty 99-82. Mirror/Getty Images
Check out the trailer above.