Rapper Eminem has sent 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy a cease and desist letter asking him to quit performing his songs on the campaign trail.
Earlier this month, Vivek went viral on the internet when he rapped to Eminem’s Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair.
Young Vivek performs Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” at Iowa State Fair pic.twitter.com/pcKmvEBnlb
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 12, 2023
According to the Daily Mail, Eminem reached out to the music licenser BMI and asked that it revoke the Ramaswamy campaign’s license to use his music.
In a letter dated August 23, a representative for BMI informed the campaign’s lawyer that the label had ‘received communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions (the “Eminem Works”) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.’
The correspondence goes on to say that ‘this letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately.’
‘BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto,’ the letter read.
Ramaswamy told Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds that Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” is his favorite song.
“It’s like, young and scrappy,” Ramaswamy told Reynolds.
“I am really starting to understand my age,” responded the 64-year-old Reynolds. “I’m going to have to go look that up.”
A representative for the Ramaswamy campaign told the Daily Mail that Vivek will not reprise his performance of the song.
“Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose. To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shady,” a spokesperson said.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.