Eminem has taken legal action against GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, sending him a cease and desist letter demanding the discontinuation of his use of Eminem’s music during campaign events.
Ramaswamy, 38, known for reciting lyrics from Eminem’s Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself,” received the notice on August 23. According to the obtained letter, Eminem’s legal team reached out to BMI, demanding the removal of Ramaswamy’s authorization to employ his music at campaign events.
A spokesperson for the music licenser informed Ramaswamy’s campaign lawyer that they had received communication from Eminem (Marshall B. Mathers, III) objecting to the use of his musical compositions by the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign. The letter declared that the “Eminem Works” are to be immediately excluded from the agreement. Any further use of the works by the campaign would be considered a breach of the agreement, for which BMI reserved all rights and remedies.
In response, Ramaswamy’s spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, conveyed their compliance with Eminem’s request. “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,” she stated in an email to HuffPost.
In a previous interview with POLITICO, Ramaswamy had shared his admiration for Eminem and how the artist’s story resonated with him. He mentioned performing “Lose Yourself” at Harvard open-mic nights under the stage name Da Vek. Reflecting on Eminem’s journey, Ramaswamy noted, “He’s growing up in the trailers, with a single mom, and he wants to make it. He’s going to use the moment to do it. He feels like he’s going to use the moment to do it, he seizes it and then he makes it happen, and I thought it was a pretty cool story.” He also connected with Eminem’s determination to overcome challenges despite different circumstances.