Eminem sends Vivek Ramaswamy cease-and-desist over use of “Lose Yourself” at campaign stops
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on August 29, 2023
Eminem is not happy with Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy rapping along to “Lose Yourself” on the campaign trail, sending a cease-and-desist letter to the candidate ordering him to knock it off.
Music licenser BMI sent a letter to Ramaswamy’s campaign lawyer on August 23 “objecting to the campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions,” according to Daily Mail, who first reported, and BMI and the rapper’s reps confirmed to Variety.
“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 concluded.
Videos of Ramaswamy’s performance to conclude his appearance at the Iowa State Fair in mid-August made the rounds on social media, increasing awareness of the candidate ahead of his participation in the first GOP presidential debate.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, revealed to The New York Times in an interview published earlier in the month that as an undergraduate at Harvard, he did some rapping on the side, using the stage name “Da Vek.”
“I did not grow up in the circumstances he did,” Ramaswamy told the Times, “But the idea of being an underdog, people having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me.”
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