Photo: AP
You have probably heard his name many times this past week on social media or the news – but if you missed it, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani recently won New York City’s mayoral election after a smart, engaging, long-running campaign.
Given the buzz surrounding his historic rise to be the Big Apple’s new mayor, a lot of stories and claims have emerged.
One of these claims is that Mamdani was once a rapper before entering politics.
Is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Yes, this is true. Mamdani pursued rapping as a career for a time as “Young Cardamom” which later became “Mr Cardamom.”
He released his first song in 2016, collaborating with Ugandan rapper HAB on “Kanda (Chap Chap)”, a track about chapatti that became a local hit.
They then released an EP titled “Sidda Mukyaalo” - translated as "No going back to the village" - which explored themes of postcolonial identity and multicultural belonging.
Nani, released in 2019, was his final single before entering politics.
The song was a tribute to his grandmother, Praveen Nair.
On rapping, Mamdani said that music was his way to explore heritage and belonging.
Aside from music, Mamdani also worked as a music supervisor on his mother Mira Nair’s 2016 film “Queen of Katwe” which starred Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo.
SOURCES:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/zohran-mamdani-rap-mr-cardamom-1235366310/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2025/06/26/zohran-mamdani-rapper-young-cardamom/
