Eminem (left), Vivek Ramaswamy.Photo:CRAIG SJODIN via Getty; Scott Olson/Getty
CRAIG SJODIN via Getty; Scott Olson/Getty
Republican presidential candidateVivek Ramaswamyis responding afterEminemthreatened to take him to court for using his song “Lose Yourself.”
When asked about a recent cease-and-desist letter sent from Eminem’s performing rights organization BMI, Ramaswamytold MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, “I’ll respect his wishes.”
The 38-year-old added, “…but I’ll just say, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” — a reference to the rapper’s 2000 song “The Real Slim Shady.”
“Eminem, in his rise, used to be a guy who stood up to the establishment and said the things that the establishment didn’t want him to say,” Ramaswamy said in the Tuesday interview. “I think the fact that my political viewpoints may differ from his — I think people will change over the course of their lives. But I have hope for him, that he will one day rediscover the renegade that made him great. And I’m rooting for that success in his life.”
“Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?” he wrote alongside a grinning face with sweat emoji on Monday, tagging Eminem.
The controversy stems from Ramaswamy’s appearance at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 12, when he rapped the lyrics to “Lose Yourself” while campaigning on stage.
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Not one to shy from controversy nor publicity, Ramaswamy has garnered headlines for being outspoken against companies using their platforms for social causes and has criticized things like critical race theory, self-victimization and efforts to stop climate change.
In line with those talking points, the far-right candidate has criticized diversity programs in America, claiming that they only emphasize people’s differences.
source: people.com
