Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Addresses Eminem's Cease And Desist

BYZachary Horvath5.4K Views
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Presidential Hopefuls Make The Rounds At The Iowa State Fair
DES MOINES, IOWA - AUGUST 12: Biotech millionaire and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy raps to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" at the conclusion of one of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' "Fair-Side Chats" at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls are visiting the fair, a tradition in one of the first states that will test candidates with the 2024 caucuses. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Vivek responds to "The Real Slim Shady."

The long-running history of artists asking politicians to stop using their music during their campaigns continues. Recently, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Eminem are the latest pairing to join the list. It all began when the 38-year-old went viral earlier this month from performing Eminem’s classic song "Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair. After seeing the clip of Vivek the Michigan rap megastar did not take too kindly to him performing it. The history of Em's distaste for the Republican political party goes back years.

This is especially true when former President Donald Trump was running for office. Eminem said enough is enough as he decided to get in touch with BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) with a request to prevent Ramaswamy from using his music in the future. BMI followed through as they sent a cease and desist letter to the potential future president making him aware to never use a single melody from the icon's discography. “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."

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Vivek Ramaswamy Responds: Watch

Fast forward to August 29, Vivek joined MSNBC for a one-on-one interview. They discussed a host of topics, including the Eminem cease and desist request. Ramaswamy agreed to let bygones be bygones, but he added a little extra to his response. "I'll respect his wishes but I would just say will the 'Real Slim Shady' please stand up?" He goes on, "Eminem and his rise used to be a guy who actually stood up to the establishment and said the things the establishment didn't want him to say." Vivek then ended his response with well wishes for Eminem, "But I have hope for him that he will one day rediscover the 'Renegade' that made him great and I'm rooting for that success in his life." Maybe Eminem will write a diss track back?

What are your initial thoughts on this response to Eminem from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy? Do you think Eminem was right to send a cease and desist towards Ramaswamy? Or, are you on the politician's side? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around the music world.

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About The Author
Zachary Horvath
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.
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