Washington: Vivek Ramaswamy, the youngest Indian-Origin Republican presidential candidate, has found himself in the spotlight once again, this time for a musical clash with none other than rapper Eminem.
According to a New York Times report, the issue stems from the unauthorized use of Eminem’s music in Ramaswamy’s election campaign.
Eminem’s record company’s licensing arm, BMI, sent a stern notice to the Ramaswamy campaign, as highlighted in a letter dated Wednesday and shared in The Daily Mail on Monday. This notice made it clear that any performance of Eminem’s works by the Vivek 2024 campaign would be deemed a serious violation of BMI’s licensing rules. The letter also stated that BMI would hold all rights and remedies in this regard.
This situation arose after Ramaswamy unexpectedly broke into a rendition of Eminem’s hit song “Lose Yourself” during a campaign event at the Iowa State Fair. The incident occurred when a quick-thinking sound technician played the song, prompting the 38-year-old candidate to engage in some impromptu rap. Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s campaign spokeswoman, revealed that he took the stage by storm, but ultimately conceded that the true art of rapping should be left to the authentic Slim Shady, one of Eminem’s alter egos.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who declared his intention to run for the 2024 US presidential election earlier this year, has a unique background. Born on August 9, 1985, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he comes from a family that migrated to the US from Kerala. His mother worked as a geriatric psychiatrist, and his father had a career as an engineer at General Electric.
Standing out as the second Indian-American contender in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, following Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy also enters the history books as the fourth Indian-American to throw his hat into the White House race. The lineup includes Bobby Jindal, who ran in 2016, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who took part in the 2020 election.
Ramaswamy’s entry into the Republican field came after the announcements of former US President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s bids for the presidency. His journey is intriguing, having founded Roivant Sciences in 2014 and leading the successful IPOs of the biotech company in 2015 and 2016. Under his leadership, the company achieved notable milestones in clinical trials across various disease areas, resulting in FDA-approved products.
Before Ramaswamy can set his sights on the presidential ballot, he must secure victory in the Republican Party’s presidential primary, which is slated to commence in January of the upcoming year. As the next US presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024, the stage is set for a dynamic and riveting political contest.