As biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy surges up polls ahead of the 2024 presidential election, voters may be wondering if the real Vivek will please stand up.
In the tightly contested race for the GOP nomination, Ramaswamy’s palms may be sweaty, his knees may be weak and his arms may be heavy, but he might not be able to rap his favorite verses again.
What Happened: Ramaswamy has been gaining momentum in polls among Republican voters and was mentioned in many polls as a potential winner from the first Republican debate.
While the biotech entrepreneur would likely love to celebrate this success by rapping his favorite Eminem song in public at a campaign stop or election speech, he will likely need to choose some new music.
Eminem has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ramaswamy courtesy of music licenser BMI, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
According to the letter seen by The Daily Mail, Ramaswamy is asked to stop using Eminem music on his campaign trail. The filing came after Ramaswamy rapped “Lose Yourself,” a hit Eminem song, at the Iowa State Fair.
BMI stated in iyd letter dated Aug. 23, that it 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 letter also stated that any future performances of Eminem works by Ramaswamy going forward will be considered a breach of the agreement.
A spokesperson for Ramaswamy acknowledged the performance by the 2024 presidential candidate.
“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 spokesperson for Ramaswamy told Daily Mail.
Why It’s Important: As recently shared by Benzinga, Ramaswamy has a history of performing Eminem songs and is a fan of the rapper.
Going with the stage name “Da Vek” while attending Harvard University, Ramaswamy was known to perform “Lose Yourself” and also rap original libertarian-themed raps on stage.
Ramaswamy previously said he was a fan of Eminem’s raps about being an underdog.
“I saw myself, honestly, making it big through American capitalism, and that’s why the Eminem story spoke to me,” Ramaswamy previously said.
Ramaswamy performed “Lose Yourself” at the 2022 holiday party for Strive, the investment firm he co-founded.
The 2024 presidential candidate previously said he would consider using “Lose Yourself” or “Till I Collapse” as walk-out songs, something likely not to happen now.
While he’s still a fan of Eminem’s music, Ramaswamy has publicly said he’s not a fan of his anti-Trump comments, something that may have contributed to the cease-and-desist letter.
Eminem not approving of the use of his songs is not the first case of a musician trying to stay out of the political game. Benzinga previously shared the classic rock band Journey had an internal feud among band members over the usage of their songs at Donald Trump events.
Trump has seen several bands fight against him using their songs at political events, including the Village People.
Congresswoman and Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene previously received a cease-and-desist letter from Eminem collaborator Dr. Dre.
Photos: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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