The owner of a Detroit studio that advertises itself as the place where Eminem recorded his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, was found murdered inside the building on Tuesday.
Though officials have not yet found a motive, Amjed “A.J.”
Abdallah was shot twice in the entrance to the studio on famed Eight Mile Road in what appears to be a robbery gone wrong.
An associate reportedly discovered Abdallah on the floor of the studio, where police found three casings from a.357 revolver. Officials have determined that Abdallah had been dead for at least two days.
Detective Lt. Norman Raymond told The Associated Press that it’s possible robbery was the motive. “People who use the studio told us to look for some fairly pricey equipment and it was missing,” he said.
The slaying came just weeks after the 36-year-old Jordanian native announced plans to sell Studio 8 on eBay, hyping it by playing up the Eminem connection.
Abdallah, who lived in an apartment above the studio, had garnered a single $215,000 bid since it went on sale December 15. The auction is slated to end on January 14.
A card above the door of the studio advertises it as “Recording studio, Eminem’s first album.” Though Eminem is reported to have worked on some of the material that ended up on the album at the studio, formerly known as the Bassment, The Slim Shady LP lists the Mix Room and producer Dr. Dre’s home studio as the recording locations for the album.
