US rapper Eminem has asked Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire and former biotech executive, to not use his music during his presidential campaign, according to a letter disclosed on Monday.
In the letter dated Aug 23, which was reported first by the Daily Mail, BMI, a performing rights organisation, informed Mr Ramaswamy’s campaign at the rapper’s request that it will no longer licence Eminem’s music for use by Mr Ramaswamy’s campaign.
“BMI has received a communication from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical composition (the “Eminem Works”) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the agreement,” BMI says in the letter.
Mr Ramaswamy’s campaign told CNN it will comply with the request to stop using the rapper’s music. Mr Ramaswamy, a businessman with no political experience, has been rising in some opinion polls and has branded his rivals as being “bought and paid for”.
The 38-year-old tech entrepreneur was at the centre of many of last week’s first Republican primary debate’s most dramatic moments.
