Rap star Eminem has formally asked US Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to stop "rapping" his songs on the campaign trail, according to a letter released yesterday.
Video of businessman Ramaswamy, who is experiencing a sudden rise in the race for the Republican primary election, in which he is seen "rapping" to the song "Lose Yourself" at a political event in Iowa, was widely circulated on social media a few weeks ago.
American music rights group BMI says in a letter published by the DailyMail and verified by AFP that it has received a "formal request" from Eminem, who claims that Ramaswamy no longer uses his music.
The political newcomer is now surprisingly third in the polls for the early 2024 Republican primary.
During his studies at Harvard he was distinguished for his talent in rap under the nickname "Da Vek".
"If you think orator Vivek Ramaswamy is strong, it's because you haven't met Da Vek yet," quipped the university's student newspaper, The Crimson, in 2006.
In the last two US presidential elections, several well-known artists, including Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Aerosmith or Adele, as well as Prince's heirs, protested the use of their songs at Donald Trump's campaign rallies.
The famous British rock group Rolling Stones had even threatened the Republican former president with legal action if he continued to use their hit "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
Source: RES-EAP