During a campaign event at the Iowa State Fair, the Republican presidential candidate previously rapped a verse of the rapper's 2002 track 'Lose Yourself' and deemed it his favorite walkout song.
- August 29, 2023
AceShowbiz - Vivek Ramaswamy has broken silence on Eminem's demand. Shortly after being banned from using the "Lose Yourself" rapper's songs on his campaign trail, the Republican presidential candidate responded to the request.
On Monday, August 28, the 38-year-old politician gave his response, through his representative, to the 50-year-old spitter not allowing his tracks to be used during political events. Speaking to TMZ, the rep stated, "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 few days prior, Vivek surprised a crowd at the Iowa State Fair by delivering a verse of Eminem's 2002 track "Lose Yourself". He was making an appearance at the event to speak alongside Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. During the August 12 event, Vivek chanted, "Snap back to reality, ope there goes gravity."
In the same event, Vivek also revealed that the song is his favorite walkout song at campaign events. "It's like, young and scrappy," he described the song to Kim at that time. In response, Kim said, "I am really starting to understand my age. I'm going to have to go look that up."
However, Eminem did not like Vivek's move in playing his song during a campaign trail. The "Mockingbird" rapper approached the music licenser BMI and requested that his works be banned from being used at Vivek's campaign events. As a result, a representative for BMI sent a cease and desist letter, which was dated August 23, to the campaign's lawyer.
The letter, which was obtained by The Daily Mail, read, "BMI has 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."
"This letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately," BMI further stated. "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."
