Eminem warns Ramaswamy to cease using his music.
Rapper Eminem Demands Vivek Ramaswamy to Stop Using His Songs
In a surprising turn of events, rapper Eminem has taken legal action against Vivek Ramaswamy, urging him to cease using his songs for his campaign. Eminem’s team sent a letter to revoke the license Ramaswamy’s campaign had obtained from music licenser BMI.
Eminem Objects to the Use of “Lose Yourself”
Ramaswamy had performed Eminem’s iconic track “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State fair earlier this month. However, on August 23, BMI informed Ramaswamy’s lawyer that Eminem strongly objected to the use of his musical compositions in the campaign. Eminem demanded that BMI “remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”
The letter stated, “This letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately. 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.”
Ramaswamy’s Connection to “Lose Yourself”
Interestingly, Ramaswamy had previously performed raps under the stage name “Da Vek” during his college days, often including renditions of “Lose Yourself.” He even performed the song at a karaoke bar during a vacation in Canada.
When asked about his connection to Eminem’s music, Ramaswamy shared, “I did not grow up in the circumstances he did. People having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me.” Ramaswamy’s upbringing was quite different, with his father working as an engineer and patent attorney for General Electric, and his mother pursuing a career as a geriatric psychiatrist.
This incident is not the first time an artist has objected to their music being used in a political campaign. In 2000, Sting famously asked George W. Bush to stop using his song “Brand New Day.” Sting’s manager, Miles Copeland, expressed that it was inappropriate for Sting to take sides in the election as he was British and a ”guest” in the U.S.
According to Salon, Copeland stated, ”It’s not a polite thing to do,” and mentioned that he would also advise the Gore campaign, which had also used the song, to stop. However, it seems that conversation never took place. Interestingly, Sting and Al Gore were later spotted having brunch together in 2009.
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