Eminem Tells Ramaswamy to Stop Rapping to His Songs
American musician Eminem, whose real name is Marshall B. Mathers, has taken action to stop Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, from rapping to his music while campaigning....
Facts
- American musician Eminem, whose real name is Marshall B. Mathers, has taken action to stop Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, from rapping to his music while campaigning.1
- In a letter to music licenser BMI dated August 23, Eminem requested the Ramaswamy campaign’s license to his music be revoked and that the licenser “remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”1
- Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur from Ohio, went viral earlier this month when he rapped Eminem’s hit “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair.2
- Ramaswamy, who is a defender of former Pres. Donald Trump, said via his campaign that he would comply with the request.3
- Over the years, major musical artists — including Bruce Springsteen, Fat Boy Slim, and the Rolling Stones — have battled with politicians appropriating their music. Legally, politicians often don’t need direct permission from the artist because of a licensing deal that can be made with musical rights organizations.4
Sources: 1Daily Mail, 2USA Today, 3Al Jazeera and 4BBC News.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Ramaswamy shouldn’t be surprised he’s been asked to cease and desist — and not just because of his cringe-worthy performance. Eminem has long aligned himself with liberal causes and has spoken out against Trump. Now Ramaswamy can share Eminem’s ire that was previously reserved for Trump.
- Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. Eminem has made a culture war epic fail here. The rapper should realize that his anti-war positions align with Ramaswamy’s. At least Ramaswamy’s campaign is doing the right thing and complying with the request while publicly reacting to it with a sense of humor.
