Eminem Grants 'Not Afraid' Song to Abdul El-Sayed as Candidate Promises He Is 'Doing This for MI'

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's US Senate election after using Eminem's 2010 hit 'Not Afraid' in a final campaign video released on Tuesday, 3 November.

But the Detroit rapper's spokesperson said the campaign had not contacted him about the recording, raising questions over how the song reached the advertisement.

The video appeared as El-Sayed faced former Republican congressman Mike Rogers for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The Associated Press confirmed El-Sayed's victory on Wednesday, 4 November, making him the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

The result added a striking postscript to a campaign video that had already attracted attention for its soundtrack. El-Sayed's election-day appeal featured an artist who had recently collaborated with Kid Rock, one of the candidate's most vocal critics.

The 78-second video paired footage of voters and the campaign trail with 'Not Afraid', a single from Eminem's album Recovery. It also showed President Donald Trump before cutting to El-Sayed standing on a balcony, matching the images to the song's lyrics.

'Michigan. It's time. It's up to us to show the country what's possible,' El-Sayed wrote alongside the video on X. Another message in the clip, 'doing this for MI', played on Michigan's postal abbreviation.

Eminem's Team Disputes Contact Over 'Not Afraid'

The use of Eminem's music did not amount to confirmation of his personal endorsement. In fact, a correction published by the Detroit Free Press complicated an earlier account of how the song had been obtained.

The newspaper initially reported, citing a source familiar with the arrangement, that El-Sayed's campaign had worked directly with Eminem to acquire rights. It subsequently amended the article after an Eminem spokesperson said there had been 'no outreach from the campaign'.

The Free Press said it had sought a response from El-Sayed's team. The spokesperson's denial does not establish whether the campaign obtained a licence through another party, nor does it prove that the song was used without permission. The precise arrangements remain unclear.

Eminem has permitted political campaigns to use his music before. His 'Lose Yourself' appeared in a 2020 get-out-the-vote advertisement for Joe Biden, and the rapper publicly supported Kamala Harris at a Detroit rally in 2024.

The distinction between using an existing recording and securing an artist's personal backing matters here. El-Sayed also released election-day material involving Stevie Wonder, who appeared in a separate video encouraging support for the Democrat. Another clip included Kendrick Lamar's 'Euphoria', although its appearance likewise did not establish an endorsement.

For El-Sayed, those releases formed part of a final push in an election shaped by disputes over affordability, healthcare and his criticism of Israel. AP reported that Republicans also made unsupported attempts to link the candidate to terrorist organisations.

Kid Rock's Attacks Complicate Eminem's Michigan Connection

The campaign's choice of soundtrack carried another uncomfortable contrast. Eminem had joined fellow Michigan musician Kid Rock on 'Heal My Faith', released in October on Kid Rock's album Halfway 2 Jesus.

Kid Rock, a supporter of President Trump, had compared El-Sayed to the 11 September hijackers during a 16 October appearance on Fox News' Fox & Friends. He returned to the comparison on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher on 30 October. Maher challenged the musician's account of the hijackers.

There is no evidence linking El-Sayed to the attacks or to terrorist organisations. Kid Rock's accusations were political attacks, not established facts about the candidate.

Eminem had addressed his collaboration with Kid Rock in an October social media post. 'Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us,' he wrote.

That explanation made clear how Eminem framed the musical partnership. It said nothing about whether he supported El-Sayed's campaign.

El-Sayed, meanwhile, declared victory before supporters in Detroit early Wednesday. 'You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates,' he told the crowd, according to AP. His election settled the Senate contest, but not the unanswered question of how 'Not Afraid' was cleared for the closing campaign video.