Politicians on the campaign trail frequently use songs by popular artists, but new GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was hit with a cease-and-desist from Eminem — after the rapper took issue with it.
According to the Daily Mail, Eminem requested that the music publisher, BMI, send Ramaswamy a document that prevents him from not only using “Lose Yourself,” but any song from his discography, in the future.
This likely sparked from his rough performance of Eminem’s song during an appearance at the Iowa State Fair, where he tried to rap along. The publication also notes that Ramaswamy apparently performed under “Da Vek” and would rap during his college years — with Eminem as the inspiration.
“The idea of being an underdog, people having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me,” Ramaswamy previously told The New York Times.
A BMI representative, in the letter sent to the politician’s team, noted they “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 letter continues, “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.”
Source: https://uproxx.com/music/eminem-vivek-ramaswamy-cease-desist-letter-explained/