BMI Sends Cease and Desist to Trump Campaign on Behalf of Rihanna

BMI sent a cease and desist to the Trump campaign informing them that they can no longer use Rihanna‘s music without her permission. The letter comes two days after the singer’s team sent one of their own in response to Donald Trump using the song “Don’t Stop the Music” during a rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Sunday. 

BMI, which handles Rihanna’s music publishing, issued the cease and desist to make it clear that despite the “Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Political Entities License Agreement,” which allows for the payment of a blanket license in exchange for use of any song tied to BMI, anything owned by Rihanna is no longer part of the deal. “BMI has received a communication from Robyn Fenty, professionally known as ‘Rihanna,’ objecting to the Trump Campaign’s use of Rihanna’s musical works,” the letter reads, according to Rolling Stone. “As such … this letter serves as notice that Rihanna’s musical works are excluded from [an agreement between BMI and the Trump Campaign for song usage], and any performance of Rihanna’s musical works by the Trump Campaign from this date forward is not authorized by BMI.”

BMI’s letter echoes the statement shared by Rihanna when she vowed to prohibit Trump from using her music at any future rallies. 

The letter works to ensure that Trump’s team doesn’t use their agreement with BMI as a loophole to play Rihanna’s music in the future. Over the last few months, she has become politically outspoken by publicly endorsing Democratic candidates Andrew Gillum and Stacey Adams in their bids for governor of Florida and Georgia, respectively. Rihanna is not only doing her part stateside, but she’s also holding down her role as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, with specific responsibility for promoting education, tourism and investment for the island” for the Barbados government.