The rapper’s legal team took action by reaching out to BMI, the organization responsible for licensing music for various purposes, and demanded the immediate revocation of Ramaswamy’s license to use Eminem’s music at campaign events. This move followed Ramaswamy’s habit of performing Eminem’s Oscar-winning song, “Lose Yourself,” at his campaign gatherings.
The letter dated August 23, addressed to Ramaswamy’s campaign, delivered a clear message, stating, “serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately.” Furthermore, it emphasized that any future use of Eminem’s works by the Vivek 2024 campaign would constitute a “material breach of the Agreement,” invoking BMI’s rights and remedies.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy, indicated that the campaign intends to comply with Eminem’s request. She conveyed this in a statement to HuffPost, saying, “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.”
In response to the situation, Ramaswamy tweeted a link to the Daily Mail story, adding a playful reference to Eminem’s lyrics, “Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?”
In fairness, Ramaswamy’s appreciation for Eminem’s music has deep roots, going back to his undergraduate days at Harvard University. During that time, he occasionally performed as a “libertarian-minded rap artist” under the stage name Da Vek, as reported by Politico.
Ramaswamy’s fondness for Eminem’s music, including “Lose Yourself,” was evident during his participation in Harvard open-mic nights. He connected with the song’s narrative of an individual overcoming adversity and striving for success, which resonated with his own background.
In his own words, Ramaswamy explained, “He’s growing up in the trailers, with a single mom, and he wants to make it. He’s going to use the moment to do it. He feels like he’s going to use the moment to do it, he seizes it and then he makes it happen, and I thought it was a pretty cool story…I didn’t grow up in a trailer, but I also didn’t grow up in the same circumstances that most of my peers at Harvard did, either. I aspired to achieve what many of their parents did. It kind of spoke to me, I would say.”
While the request to refrain from rapping Eminem’s songs may be the least of Ramaswamy’s current concerns, as a multimillionaire biotech investor seeking the Republican presidential nomination, he has recently come under scrutiny for controversial statements.
Over the weekend, he compared Rep. Ayanna Pressley and prominent author Ibram X. Kendi, among other progressive anti-racists, to the “grand wizards of the modern KKK.” Additionally, he faced tough questions from “Meet The Press” host Chuck Todd, who confronted him about inconsistencies between his recent statements regarding the January 6, 2021, insurrection and the content of his book, “Nation of Victims.”
