Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy shocked everyone during a trip when he gave an unplanned live rap performance. The 38-year-old entrepreneur, who’s picking up steam in polls, rapped from Eminem’s hit Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair. A somewhat dull audience response wasn’t keeping Ramaswamy back either. Energetically embracing the music with syncopated dancing that was perfectly sinewy and beautiful—Ramaswamy enjoyed a triumphant smile as he neared his end of his rap performance.

This impromptu musical performance was a momentous event within the 2024 GOP primary race as it marked the first time that a candidate made an appearance on stage alongside a live rap act. According to Ramaswamy, his chosen campaign walk-out song Lose Yourself was because of its youthful energy associated with telling young people they can make change happen and lead by example.

Ramaswamy's rap-and-politics mashup extends beyond his fair performance. He appeared on Fox News back in 2011 to rap about his libertarian views, extolling the value of individual freedoms and patriotism. This genre blurring touches a personal chord for Ramaswamy from Harvard University days, when he studied while moonlighting as a libertarian-minded rap artist under the moniker Da Vek.

The candidate's affinity for Lose Yourself is rooted in its sense of triumph against adversity, which reflects his own campaign story. Ramaswamy sees Slim Shady's story of overcoming challenges as emblematic of seizing opportunities and making them count.

At his appearance at the Iowa State Fair, Ramaswamy sought to highlight free speech and open dialogue around some of the more contentious issues in society like climate change and equity audits. It served him well enough from a political perspective to place third on a GOP primary playing field that has brought wide attention to his unconventional campaign tactics. Though Ron DeSantis may poll nearly 15% while former President Donald Trump takes 54.2%, it’s political standouts such as Ramaswamy who distinguish him on that political stage when all is said and done.

Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy breaks out into live rap performance at Iowa State Fair, gets zero reaction from crowd. 🦗🦗🦗🦗 (Video: C-SPAN) pic.twitter.com/kccuJv6zWj

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 12, 2023