Eminem wants Vivek Ramaswamy to lose “Lose Yourself” and other rap works from his campaign’s playlist. Music rights management service BMI sent Ramaswamy’s campaign a letter notifying them that Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, had objected to their use of his compositions. (Read the Eminem letter).
The BMI attorney, Pamela Williams, also informed them that the Eminem works are being removed from a BMI license agreement with the campaign. “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,” Williams wrote in the letter, which also was obtained by Deadline.
Ramaswamy drew huge attention for performing Eminem’s Oscar-winning 2002 hit “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.
Although he tried to separate himself from other GOP candidates at last week’s debate, calling them bought and paid for, he falls into a long, long line of Republican contenders who have been hit with cease and desist letters, legal threats and lawsuit from musicians who object to the use of their works.
Read more on deadline.com