Eminem Tells Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy To Stop Using His Music

Eminem is telling Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using his music in his campaign. BMI, the performing arts organization, told Ramaswamy at Eminem's request, they will no longer be licensing the rapper's music for his use for the campaign, according to CNN.

Over the weekend, Ramaswamy was performing "Lose Yourself" alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair during an impromptu karaoke performance. BMI says it "received a communication from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions," according to a copy of the letter obtained by the outlet.

Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the campaign will respect the request to stop using Eminem’s music in future campaigns.

"Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose," McLaughlin said. "To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real Slim Shady." The polling site FiveThirtyEight currently projects that Ramaswamy would get less than 10% of the votes in the Republican primary.

Ramaswamy responded Monday 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?"

The letter was sent more than a week after Ramaswamy's performance.

Ramaswamy also reposted a user's tweet that called out Eminem's 2004 protest song "Mosh" which was the second single from his fifth studio album, Encore . It was released right before the 2004 election in which President George W. Bush defeated Democrat nominee John Kerry.  The song called for voters to not re-elect President George W. Bush.

Ramaswamy, who is 38, is the youngest presidential candidate currently running for office.

As for Eminem, last year he performed at the Super Bowl LVI alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent. He also was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. In addition, dropped an expanded edition of The Eminem Show to commemorate the album's 20th anniversary.

Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the genre is one of the youngest, it is not short on its impact on the culture.

The genre originated in the early '70s in New York in African-American communities in the Bronx. There are several aspects to hip-hop in regard to music making, such as rap, djing, and freestyling. Those created other avenues in the art form, such as breakdancing and graffiti art.

Hip-hop has been in the mainstream in ways that were never thought possible by its early adopters of the craft.

"When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, 'No'. No, you won't be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap, you can't sing. No, singers can't become actresses. No, actors can't also produce," Queen Latifah said to Entertainment Weekly in a statement as she is set to become the first female rap artist to be celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors.

"To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I'm beyond grateful for this recognition."

Throughout this year, hip-hop has been celebrated in performances by some of the greats. At the 2023 BET Awards, there were performances by MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, The Sugarhill Gang, D-Nice, Warren G, Yo-Yo, Trick Daddy, Trina, Uncle Luke, Redman, Erick Sermon, and Keith Murray -- also known as "Def Squad," and more highlighted rap on Culture's Biggest Night.

Earlier this year, Questlove curated a hip-hop tribute at the 2023 Grammy Awards where Missy Elliott, Run DMC, Salt n Pepa, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, Nelly, GloRilla, Lil Baby, and more took to the stage.

If you have been a fan since the beginning or you've just begun listening, you'll learn more from these projects. Take a look at five documentaries on these hip-hop artists:

Biggie and Tupac is a full-length documentary on the lives and tragedies of the hip-hop greats. Besides footage of Biggie and Tupac, you will also see appearances from Snoop Dogg, Lil Cease, and more. You can stream Biggie and Tupac on Amazon Prime Video.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14867972/

Jay-Z is regarded as one of the best rappers to have touched a mic. The New York native's 2020 documentary titled The Story of Jay-Z shows fans how he got to where he is now. You can stream The Story of Jay-Z on Amazon Prime Video.

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy takes us back to where it all began for Kanye West: The Southside of Chicago. Kanye West's artistry has impacted hip-hop like no other as his diverse skills in producing and designing put him in a league of his own. You can stream Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic takes a deep dive into Nas' iconic debut album Illmatic. In the New York native's documentary you will also hear accounts from Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Pharrell. You can stream Nas: Time Is Illmatic on Peacock.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24514002/

Eminem has had quite a career in hip-hop and this documentary takes a look at many of his accolades. In 2022 he performed at the Super Bowl alongside Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year for his contributions to hip-hop. You can stream Eminem: Count Me In on Amazon Prime Video.