Eminem‘s lawyers have announced that they’re not here for GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy’s “shady” shenanigans.
In a letter on BMI letterhead dated August 23, lawyer Pamela Williams ordered Ramaswamy to stop freestyling to “Lose Yourself” while on the campaign trail.
“BMI has received communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions (the ‘Eminem Works’) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement,” read the letter.
It continues: “This letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately. 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.”
Check out the full letter below:
Eminem’s lawyers go after GOP presidential hopeful with cease & desist https://t.co/52WCdDrY0Tpic.twitter.com/qsdSn53pkI
Eminem is just the latest musician whose music is being used by out-of-touch politicians trying to get “cool points” with Gen Z in an attempt to gain their votes.
GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy tried to convince the crowd of his viability as a candidate during a campaign stop in Iowa earlier this month and that he was fit for the job of the highest office in the land.
Ramaswamy attempted to prove he was fit to be president by spitting a few bars from Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” the classic song from 8 Mile that won the Detroit rapper an Oscar.
Apparently, Eminem caught wind of the performance, and immediately put the kibosh on any future freestyles by Ramaswamy or any other potential POTUS.
Pitiful performances from presidential hopefuls aside, Eminem still knows how to smoke the competition behind the mic, as he proved with his recent roasting of Hip Hop legend Melle Mel in his special guest appearance on an Ez Mil track.
Though officially released on August 4, the track leaked a few hours early on Reddit — much to the delight of Slim Shady’s fanbase, as well as those wanting to hear what his new Shady/Aftermath/Interscope signee had cooked up.
Hip Hop has been good to me, huh/ But when they say that I’m only Top 5 ’cause I’m white, why would I be stunned?” Eminem spits. “My skin color’s still working against me/ ‘Cause second, I should be, to none/ Bein’ white being why they put me at five (Nope)/ That’s why they can’t put me at one.”
Continuing to stare down his critics, he adds: “And that is the only retort, is I’m not played in the clubs/ Muthafucka, put a cork in it/ Only reason they still play your shit in the clubs is because you still perform in ’em/ I am a guest in this house, but I turned this bitch into a mansion.”
Then turning his attention to Melle Mel, Em raps: “Shoutout to Furious Five and Grandmaster Flash, but boy/ There’s someone who really is furious/ Stay out his path, his wrath avoid/ I’ll be the last to toy with a juice head whose brain is half destroyed, like a meteor hit it/ Now with Melle Mel, he lost his ass to ‘roids.”
Melle Mel issued a response that received mixed reviews and has since apologized for the initial comments made on a podcast which prompted Eminem’s scathing reply.