Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently found himself at the center of controversy after rapping Eminem's “Lose Yourself” during a campaign stop in Iowa. However, it wasn't Ramaswamy's performance that sparked the backlash; it was the cease-and-desist letter allegedly sent by Eminem's representatives, demanding that he stop using the rapper's music publicly. The letter, obtained by music publisher BMI, stated that Eminem objected to the Ramaswamy campaign's use of his musical compositions.

Conservatives on social media quickly seized the opportunity to criticize Eminem, especially considering his endorsement of President Biden in the 2020 election. Many mocked the multimillionaire recording artist for objecting to Ramaswamy's use of his music on the campaign trail. Author and political commentator Mike Cernovich tweeted, "Lmao what a gigantic baby." Some conservatives pointed out the irony of Eminem's objection, given that he had previously released an anti-Bush song called “Mosh” before the 2004 election. The song featured lyrics expressing an anti-war sentiment, similar to Ramaswamy's positions. State Freedom Caucus Network Comms Director Greg Price tweeted, "Now he's angry that the most anti-war candidate in the GOP primary sang his song at an event."

Ramaswamy himself addressed the situation on social media, posting, "Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn't just say what I think he did, did he?" However, he later announced during an interview with MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell that he would respect Eminem's wishes and no longer perform the rapper's music on the campaign trail. Ramaswamy, referring to Eminem's alter ego and hit song from 2000, stated, "Yeah, look, I think that I'll respect his wishes, but I would just say, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?"

The cease-and-desist letter was sent by music licensing company BMI to the Ramaswamy campaign team, 11 days after the incident at the Iowa State Fair. Ramaswamy had responded to Gov. Kim Reynolds' request to name his favorite walkout song by rapping a few lines from Eminem's "Lose Yourself." BMI informed the campaign that it had received objections from Eminem himself and requested the removal of all his works from the agreement. The company demanded that Ramaswamy no longer perform any of Eminem's tunes during his campaign events.

In response to the cease-and-desist notice, Ramaswamy criticized Eminem for abandoning his rebellious persona. He noted that Eminem used to be someone who stood up against the establishment and said things that they didn't want to hear. Ramaswamy expressed hope that Eminem would rediscover his renegade spirit and succeed in his life.

Ramaswamy, who previously rapped under the stage name Da Vek during his time at Harvard University, has continued his campaign without the use of Eminem's music. His campaign team stated, "To the American people's chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real Slim Shady." As of now, representatives for Eminem have not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.