Eminem Threatens Legal Action Against Vivek Ramaswamy for Using His Music During Campaign Events

Eminem sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ramaswamy's campaign after he rapped the lyrics to "Lose Yourself" in Iowa

Eminem is threatening to take Vivek Ramaswamy to court for using his song "Lose Yourself."

The Republican presidential candidate, 38, rapped the lyrics to the 2002 song while campaigning at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 12 and Eminem's music performing rights organization BMI has since sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ramaswamy's campaign attorney, Stephen Roberts, according a copy of the letter obtained by PEOPLE.

The letter — which was reported first by the Daily Mail — stated that BMI had "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."

"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 added.

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When Ramaswamy caught wind of the letter, he appeared to taunt the Grammy winner, 50, on his X page (formerly known as Twitter).

"Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?" he wrote Monday, using the Detroit-born star's lyrics from "The Real Slim Shady" and tagging Eminem with a grinning face with sweat emoji. The post had gathered 3.5 million views by Tuesday morning.

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Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN on Monday that "Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose."

"To the American People's chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shady," McLaughlin added, per CNN.

Related: The Many, Many Musicians Who Have Told Politicians to Stop Using Their Songs

This isn't the first time that Ramaswamy has rapped the song in public. In 2006, while attending his senior year at Harvard University the entrepreneur also vocalized the lyrics, this time under the alter ego "Da Vek," reported The Harvard Crimson.

"I think that children should be forced to listen to it," Ramaswamy told his school at the time, "the edited version, of course."

PEOPLE did not immediately receive a reply from Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for further information.

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