Eminem

Eminem Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Following Politician’s Performance of “Lose Yourself” at Campaign Event

by
Eminem Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Following Politician's Performance of Lose Yourself at Campaign Event

The 2024 Presidential Election is still over a year away, but newcomer candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has already taken an L following his recent performance of Eminem‘s hit “Lose Yourself” at a campaign event in Iowa as Eminem’s legal team sent a cease and desist order requesting that Ramaswamy not use Em’s intellectual property at political events.

Ramaswamy first performed the song karaoke-style at the Iowa State Fair in an appearance with Gov. Kim Reynolds. He said that the song was his favorite walkout song for a campaign event. (CNN has a video of the performance.)

Eminem’s legal team reportedly reached out to music licenser BMI, who then sent a letter to Ramaswamy’s lawyer that read as follows:

Dear Mr. Roberts:

This letter serves as notice to you pursuant to the BMI Music License for Political Entities or Organizations entered into by Broadcast Music, Inc. (‘BMI) and Vivek 2024 on May 24, 2023 (the Agreement**) that 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 compositions (the “Eminem Works”) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.

As such, pursuant to Paragraph 2(a) of the Agreement, this letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately. BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.

Very Truly Yours,

Pamela Williams

Ramaswamy has apparently agreed to comply with his campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stating: “To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shady.”

Ramaswamy, 38, is the youngest serious presidential contender in the current crowded candidate field and hopes his youth will allow him to connect to younger voters.

The post Eminem Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Following Politician’s Performance of “Lose Yourself” at Campaign Event first appeared on The Source.

The post Eminem Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Following Politician’s Performance of “Lose Yourself” at Campaign Event appeared first on The Source.

Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Addresses Eminem’s Cease And Desist

by

The long-running history of artists asking politicians to stop using their music during their campaigns continues. Recently, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Eminem are the latest pairing to join the list. It all began when the 38-year-old went viral earlier this month from performing Eminem’s classic song “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair. After seeing the clip of Vivek the Michigan rap megastar did not take too kindly to him performing it. The history of Em’s distaste for the Republican political party goes back years.

This is especially true when former President Donald Trump was running for office. Eminem said enough is enough as he decided to get in touch with BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) with a request to prevent Ramaswamy from using his music in the future. BMI followed through as they sent a cease and desist letter to the potential future president making him aware to never use a single melody from the icon’s discography. “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.”

Read More: Artists Pour Out Love For August 08 After Unexpected Passing

Vivek Ramaswamy Responds: Watch

Fast forward to August 29, Vivek joined MSNBC for a one-on-one interview. They discussed a host of topics, including the Eminem cease and desist request. Ramaswamy agreed to let bygones be bygones, but he added a little extra to his response. “I’ll respect his wishes but I would just say will the ‘Real Slim Shady’ please stand up?” He goes on, “Eminem and his rise used to be a guy who actually stood up to the establishment and said the things the establishment didn’t want him to say.” Vivek then ended his response with well wishes for Eminem, “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.” Maybe Eminem will write a diss track back?

What are your initial thoughts on this response to Eminem from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy? Do you think Eminem was right to send a cease and desist towards Ramaswamy? Or, are you on the politician’s side? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around the music world.

Read More: Richard Sherman Hits Skip Bayless With A “Pause” In Viral “Undisputed” Clip

The post Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Addresses Eminem’s Cease And Desist appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Kendrick Lamar Albums Done In Eminem’s Style In New Reddit Post

by

Reddit users are often sharing their creative works to various hip-hop subreddits on the platform. The r/KendrickLamar forum is no different where fans discuss the rapper and occasionally share passion projects related to his work. That was the case when one user shared some impressive photoshop work. User AlvinFlang5 followed the premise “If Eminem made Kendrick Lamar albums” and designed an album cover for each of Lamar’s five studio albums if they had been made by Eminem. Specifically fans in the comments praised the new versions of Good Kid M.A.A.D City and To Pimp A Butterfly.

Unsurprisingly, fans in the comments also had some fun. “I know, “To Pimp A Trailer Park” goes hard af”, the top comment reads. Another pointed out how the post could be even funnier. “missed opportunity to name the album “FACK”,” they commented in reference to a famously vulgar Eminem deep cut. The post has already racked up over 1.7k likes just a day after being posted. The Kendrick Lamar community on reddit has over 380k followers and is one of the biggest rap-focused forums on the site.

Read More: Reason Boldly States J. Cole Will Surpass Kendrick Lamar After “The Fall Off”

Reddit User Reimagining Kendrick Lamar Albums

If Eminem made Kendrick Lamar albums
by u/AlvinFlang5 in KendrickLamar

Kendrick Lamar was recently announced as a headliner for Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival later this year. He will be performing alongside Baby Keem as “The Hillbillies,” the same name as the pair’s single earlier this year. They’ll be joined by an amazing cast of performers including SZA, Clipse, Ice Spice, Lil Yachty, Kali Uchis and more.

Kendrick getting confirmed for another festival is no surprise as he’s been lighting them up all year. Earlier this month he played a standout set at Lollapalooza day two. He also performed at Governor’s Ball earlier this year where he promised fans that he would be back soon. He followed that promise up with a run of new feature performances throughout the summer. What do you think of the redditor’s photoshops of Kendrick Lamar albums? Let us know which one is your favorite in the comment section below.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Performs For Enthusiastic Crowd In Japan

[Via]

The post Kendrick Lamar Albums Done In Eminem’s Style In New Reddit Post appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Eminem Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter To Presidential Candidate Over Campaign Music

by

Eminem

Eminem has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, demanding that he stop playing his music during campaign events. According to reports, the legendary Detroit rapper has now revoked future privileges for Ramaswamy to use his music.  Eminem Slams Presidential Candidate With Cease-and-Desist Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, faced backlash from Eminem […]

The post Eminem Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter To Presidential Candidate Over Campaign Music appeared first on SOHH.com.

Why Did Vivek Ramaswamy Receive A Cease & Desist Letter From Eminem?

by
eminem weather
Getty Image

Politicians on the campaign trail frequently use songs by popular artists, but new GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was hit with a cease-and-desist from Eminem — after the rapper took issue with it.

According to the Daily Mail, Eminem requested that the music publisher, BMI, send Ramaswamy a document that prevents him from not only using “Lose Yourself,” but any song from his discography, in the future.

This likely sparked from his rough performance of Eminem’s song during an appearance at the Iowa State Fair, where he tried to rap along. The publication also notes that Ramaswamy apparently performed under “Da Vek” and would rap during his college years — with Eminem as the inspiration.

“The idea of being an underdog, people having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me,” Ramaswamy previously told The New York Times.

A BMI representative, in the letter sent to the politician’s team, noted they “received communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions (the ‘Eminem Works’) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”

The letter continues, “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.”

Vivek Ramaswamy’s “Lose Yourself” State Fair Performance Results In Cease & Desist From Eminem

by

Presidential candidates have been known to pull off all kinds of antics in order to heighten their chances of winning the election – just look at Donald Trump. Amid the former POTUS’ seemingly endless legal woes, he continues to aim for one final term in the White House. As always, he has some competition, including Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The politician went viral earlier in August after performing Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair. Needless to say, the 8 Mile actor definitely wasn’t feeling it.

According to TMZ, Em got in touch with BMI with a request to prevent Ramaswamy from using his music in the future. In response, they sent a cease and desist letter to the potential future president making him aware of the restaurant owner’s objection to the use of his discography. “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto,” the letter, obtained by DailyMail declares.

Read More: Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Raps Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” At Iowa State Fair

Eminem Wasn’t Feeling Republican Presidential Candidate’s Cover of His Hit Song

The Eminem Show artist may not want Ramaswamy using his bars to go viral again, but still, the 38-year-old is performing considerably well amongst his contemporaries. At the most recent GOP presidential debate, he won plenty of viewers over with his confidence and stance. He’s certainly faring better in the media than Trump, who’s continued to be the butt of many jokes thanks to his stone-faced mugshot.

Elsewhere in the world of hip-hop, Benzino admitted earlier this month that he played a role in Eminem’s failure to achieve a prestigious five-mic review from The Source magazine. The former media executive said that his enemy’s attitude put a rift between them. It still hasn’t fully been resolved all these years later. Read more about that at the link below, and check back again for more music/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Benzino & Eminem’s Beef Held Slim Shady Back From Scoring 5-Mic Review From “The Source”

[Via]

The post Vivek Ramaswamy’s “Lose Yourself” State Fair Performance Results In Cease & Desist From Eminem appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Jets WR Jerome Kapp Recreated Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ Freestyle For The Team On ‘Hard Knocks’

by
jerome kapp eminem
HBO/Universal Pictures

Some of the best parts of HBO’s Hard Knocks come when the series dives into the lesser known players and rookies trying to make the team and introduce you to the people behind the pads and helmets.

On this week’s Hard Knocks, Jerome Kapp, an undrafted wide receiver out of Kutztown University, got some shine as he stole the show in the team’s rookie talent show. Rookie talent shows are often gold mines for Hard Knocks, as rookies are often tasked with doing impressions of coaches or star teammates, sometimes to hilarious results — Tim Johnson’s portrayal of Shannon Sharpe during the Ravens’ 2001 camp remains one of the great moments the show has ever had. Kapp was not tasked with imitating one of his coaches or teammates, but instead delivered a rendition of B-Rabbit’s freestyle from 8 Mile to the delight of the Jets team room.

I don’t think Kapp has a future in the music industry, as he struggled a bit to stay on the Shook Ones beat, but he went all out for it, knowing fully well this was likely to end up on national television. His teammates certainly appreciated the effort and earning a little more respect in the locker room for being willing to risk making a fool of yourself is always the goal of the rookie talent show.

Benzino & Eminem’s Beef Held Slim Shady Back From Scoring 5-Mic Review From “The Source”

by

Of the many music genres that exist, hip-hop is arguably the best known for beef unfolding between artists. There have been plenty of legendary feuds and diss tracks over the decades, many of which are still talked about today. On Matt Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast, media proprietor Benzino stopped by to discuss his long-spanning drama with Eminem, who he still hasn’t totally forgiven for what transpired between them in the past. As it turns out, at the height of Zino’s career, he actually made sure that the 8 Mile actor didn’t receive the ultimate accolade, a five-mic review from The Source magazine.

“I was the top of my muthaf**kin’ food chain,” Coi Leray’s father said while reflecting on the early 2000s. “I was the top of a damn near $75 million company when ni**as wasn’t getting money like that, I got that big money first and I was the top of that,” Benzino further bragged of his past successes. Because of his high status in the industry, the 58-year-old knew that he had the power to determine how the public was perceiving artists, especially since social media wasn’t around at the time.

Read More: Benzino Claims Michael Jackson Thanked Him For Eminem Diss

Benzino Addresses His Beef with Eminem on My Expert Opinion

“So when the Eminem thing came through ‘The Source,’ at this point, it’s getting disrespectful. So how the f**k am I gonna have this ni**a in my magazine? Would you?” Benzino told Hoffa and his co-hosts. “You’re not gonna put nobody in your magazine to give this ni**a five mics after this ni**a’s being disrespectful. You wouldn’t do it, man. Nobody would.”

Shortly before Benzino revisited his beef with Eminem on My Expert Opinion, the Detroit-born lyricist found himself at odds with another industry veteran – Melle Mel. The latter responded to Slim Shady’s “Realest” verse with a diss track of his own earlier this month but ultimately admitted that it fell short. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Melle Mel Hits Back At Eminem’s “Realest” Diss Track: Stream

[Via]

The post Benzino & Eminem’s Beef Held Slim Shady Back From Scoring 5-Mic Review From “The Source” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Breaking Down Eminem & Melle Mel’s Beef

by

Eminem has frequently shown love to hip hop’s forefathers, as they inspired him to become the legendary rapper he is today. He mentioned over 100 different hip hop artists in his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech, where he expressed gratitude for the hip hop artists he grew up listening to. While Eminem may pay homage to his favorites, he has been at odds with many notable figures in hip hop. He recently beefed with Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Known for foundational hip hop classics like “The Message,” Melle Mel was one of the many “heroes” that Eminem mentioned in his speech. Today, we are breaking down the short-lived beef between Eminem and Melle Mel.

How The Beef Started

Earlier this year, The Art of Dialogue interviewed Melle Mel, who took issue with Eminem’s placement at No. 5 on Billboard’s list of the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time. Mel, who appeared on the same list at No. 48, claimed Eminem’s placement was based on his race. He expressed, “If Eminem was another n**** like all the rest of us, would he be Top 5 on that list?” Melle Mel continued to discredit Eminem’s placement, saying, “If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than anybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, okay he got a rhyme style. But he’s white!”

A contentious opinion, this is not the first time that members of the hip hop community have attributed Eminem’s commercial success to his race. Eminem once acknowledged these views in his 2002 song “White America.” He rapped, “If I was Black, I would’ve sold half.” Nonetheless, he still replied to Melle Mel in true Slim Shady fashion on a song.

Eminem Fires Back At Melle Mel

Earlier this month, Eminem teamed up with his latest Shady Records signee, Ez Mil, on “The Realest.” His guest verse consisted of multiple lyrics directly responding to Melle Mel’s comments. He raps, “Guess I’ve really no right to complain much hip hop has been good to me / But when they say that I’m only top five ’cause I’m white why would I be stunned.” Eminem continued by addressing the sentiments that being a white rapper automatically puts him in the Top 5: “My skin color’s still working against me ’cause second I should be to none / Being white ain’t why they put me at five it’s why they can’t put me at one.” Eminem even shouts out Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, joking about Melle Mel’s alleged steroid addiction.

Melle Mel Responds, Hip Hop Reacts

Just a few days later, Melle Mel responded to Eminem’s verse on “The Realest,” with a diss track of his own. Titled “Melle Mel’s Response to Eminem’s Latest Diss,” the hip hop pioneer defended his original claims. The song, which is less than two minutes long, consists of lines aimed at Eminem: “The Top 5 is cap, you the piss that’s on the floor in the elevator of rap.” Listeners clowned Mel’s response, despite his courage to reply to a rapper known for lethal disses. Many took to Twitter to make fun of the response, joking about his simplistic rhyming. One user wrote, “Melle Mel counted to 8 while dissing Eminem.” Since they exchanged disses, it appears that they have mostly settled the beef.

Melle Mel Apologizes To Eminem

After responding to Eminem with a diss track, Melle Mel walked back his original comments last weekend and admitted that his response “fell short.” In light of celebrating hip hop’s 50th anniversary during a performance at Yankee Stadium in New York, he shared a statement on social media to show his change of heart.

Melle Mel both apologized to Eminem and complimented his contributions to hip hop. He also showed gratitude for being mentioned in the rapper’s Hall of Fame induction speech. While Eminem has not yet publicly acknowledged Melle Mel’s public apology, it appears that they squashed their beef just in time for hip hop’s 50th anniversary.

[via]

The post Breaking Down Eminem & Melle Mel’s Beef appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

A Republican Presidential Candidate Tried (And Failed) To Channel Eminem In A Cringeworthy Campaign Performance Of ‘Lose Yourself’

by
republican candidate rapping eminem
YouTube

Republicans have been railing against Eminem for over 20 years now, but that apparently won’t stop them from also trying to use his music to appeal to voters. Last year, they were recoiling from his Super Bowl Halftime Show and as recently as last week, Eminem’s anti-Trump stances were being derided on Elon Musk’s zombie Twitter six years after those fans stuck between the two controversial figures weighed with their nostalgia for “The Real Slim Shady” against their racist views.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican Presidential candidate who’s beginning his campaign ahead of next year’s elections, personified that struggle during a rally in Iowa on Saturday, rapping the iconic intro from Em’s most popular song, “Lose Yourself.” It’s… pretty painful to watch, actually. Steel yourself and hit “play” below — but stretch first, because you’re likely to pull a muscle from cringing so hard afterward.

I’m not sure which part is worse: His atrocious mic presence or the utter lack of interest from the crowd. Maybe it’s when he tries to get the lady onstage behind him involved and she snaps back to reality after clearly dissociating through his performance to avoid the secondhand embarrassment. Yike. The question this begs, though, is who is this for? Gen Z doesn’t have much fondness for Em and the fans who grew up with him have loudly moved on in recent years. Boomers hated him from jump, so which voting base does Ramaswamy hope to appeal to?

Meanwhile, the real Slim Shady actually performed the song himself for boxer Terence Crawford’s ring entrance late last month when he fought Errol Spence, Jr. Maybe Ramaswamy is hoping for some of that “Lose Yourself” luck, as Crawford dominated Spence on his way to a technical knockout victory and welterweight championship.