Rapper Eminem has requested that Vivek Ramaswamy, a potential Republican presidential candidate, cease exploiting his music.
The letter was written more than a week after the biotech entrepreneur sang Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair in an unscheduled performance.
In a letter dated August 23, Eminem requested the performing rights group BMI. Ramaswamy is attempting to unseat Donald Trump, who is widely expected to be the Republican nominee in 2024.
Ramaswamy, whose true name is Marshall Mathers III, will accede to Eminem’s request, according to a spokesman for him.
The letter claims that Eminem complained about the Republican’s usage of his “musical compositions” and that the corporation “received a communication from” him.
“BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach” of its license, the statement continues.
Campaign spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin quoted a line from an Eminem song to the US media, saying: “Vivek just stepped on the stage and cut loose. We will have to leave the rapping to the actual skinny shady, much to the sorrow of the American people.
Ramaswamy made a joke about the issue in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?” He wrote, making more references to Eminem’s lyrics.
Following a solid showing at last week’s Republican debate, the 38-year-old political neophyte is now regarded as a rising star in the race. He has positioned himself as an outsider willing to advance the “America First” policies of the previous president Trump.
Politicians receiving stop-and-desist letters because of their choice of campaign music has almost become a tradition in American politics.
Numerous musicians, including the Rolling Stones, Queen, Adele, and Pharrell Williams, wrote to Trump alerting him that he did not have permission to use their music at campaign and presidential events.
The Foo Fighters publicly criticized Republican John McCain in 2008 for using the song My Hero during his campaign for president, and Jackson Browne sued the campaign to stop using the song Running on Empty.