Eminem asks Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using his music

Eminem, it is fair to say, was not best pleased - as Nick Wallis reports

Rapper Eminem has asked Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using his songs at his campaign events.

The request comes after the presidential hopeful performed a rendition of Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, sent the politician a cease and desist letter via performance rights organisation BMI.

The letter objected to Eminem's "musical composition" being used by the Republican and revoked the campaign's licence to use the rapper's music.

Ramaswamy, who is hoping to be the Republican presidential candidate, responded to the letter on X (formerly Twitter).

Quoting Eminem, he wrote: "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? He didn't say what I think he did, did he?"

His campaign plans to comply with Eminem's wishes, with Ramaswamy's spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin telling NBC: "To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shady."

Ramaswamy isn't the first politician to receive a cease and desist letter from a disapproving musician.

Former US President Donald Trump was asked to refrain from using music from a number of artists, including Phil Collins and The Rolling Stones.

Last year, the founder of M People said the band was "livid" their song was used at the Conservative party conference.

Their 1990s hit Moving On Up was used as then-prime minister Liz Truss walked on stage ahead of her keynote speech.

M People founder Mike Pickering told LBC radio host James O'Brien that he didn't want "that woman or that party" to have "anything to do with" the band's music.

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