EXCLUSIVE: Eminem sends Vivek Ramaswamy a cease and desist order demanding he stop rapping his music during the campaign
- Rapper Eminem has objected to Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy using his music during his campaign, DailyMail.com can exclusively report
- A representative for music licensor BMI informed Ramaswamy’s campaign earlier this month that the nominee would no longer be allowed to use Eminem’s music
- Ramaswamy, who had a breakthrough night at the first GOP debate, rapped Eminem’s Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair
The real Slim Shady has stood up — and told 2024 Republican presidential nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to step down and stop rapping his tunes during the campaign.
The rapper Eminem contacted the music licensor BMI and requested that the license of the Ramaswamy campaign be revoked to use his music, according to a letter obtained by DailyMail.com.
In a letter dated Aug. 23, a BMI representative informed the campaign attorney that the label had “received communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, known professionally as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of the musical compositions by Eminem (the “Eminem”). Works”) and requests that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”
The correspondence further states that “this letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the agreement with immediate effect.”
“BMI will, as of this date, consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 Campaign as a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto,” the letter said.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (left) has received word that rapper Eminem (right) no longer wants him to rap to his music during the campaign. Ramaswamy played Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month
A letter dated August 23, 11 days after Ramaswamy’s appearance at the Iowa State Fair, was sent to his campaign’s attorney informing the campaign that the licensor was revoking the license after Eminem complained.
Ramaswamy had performed Eminem’s Lose Yourself eleven days before the letter was sent at the Iowa State Fair, entertaining an early morning crowd that had gathered to hear him speak alongside Iowa’s Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
Reynolds had asked the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur to name his favorite walkout number.
Ramaswamy would have been happy to answer Eminem’s Lose Yourself.
Moments later, when the sound engineer started playing the 2002 rap song, which was featured on the soundtrack of the movie loosely based on the life of white rapper Eminem, 8 Mile, Ramaswamy grabbed the mic and created a viral campaign track moment.
“Vivek just came on stage and went wild. Much to the chagrin of the American people, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shadowy people,” a spokesman for Ramaswamy’s campaign told DailyMail.com, responding to the charge sheet.
Ramaswamy had performed libertarian-themed raps under the stage name ‘Da Vek’ during his college days at Harvard University – and has been a longtime fan of Eminem.
“I didn’t grow up in the conditions he lived in,” said Ramaswamy, whose Indian immigrant parents were engineers and doctors. “But the idea of being an underdog, people who have low expectations of you, that appeals to me,” he shared The New York Times earlier this month.
Eminem, a white hip-hop star, is by all accounts a “man who should not have done what he did,” Ramaswamy told the newspaper.
Leading up to Wednesday’s first Republican debate in Milwaukee, Ramaswamy had teased DailyMail.com that he would “consider” rapping on the debate stage.
He didn’t rap but still created some of the most viral moments of the night.
He introduced himself to the crowd as a “skinny guy with a funny last name” and got into heated arguments with former Vice President Mike Pence, a former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
His standout performance was immediately recognized by voters, with a DailyMail.com poll showing him tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“We’re just going to have some fun tonight,” Ramaswamy said to the crowd at one point, deflecting an attack.
“The real choice we face in this primaries is this: Do you want a Super PAC doll?” he asked. “Or do you want a patriot who speaks the truth? Do you want incremental reforms, which you are now hearing about, or do you want a revolution?’