If you had "rapper turned New York City Mayor" on your 2026 bingo card, you're probably feeling pretty good right now. Zohran Mamdani’s ascent to the highest office in the city wasn’t exactly standard. Most politicians have a closet full of skeletons; Mamdani has a YouTube channel full of music videos.
Honestly, it’s refreshing.
Before he was the face of the Democratic Socialists of America in Albany or the guy promising a rent freeze for millions, he was Young Cardamom. Or Mr. Cardamom. Depends on which era of his SoundCloud you stumbled upon. While critics tried to use his lyrics as a political cudgel during the 2025 campaign, the Zohran Mamdani rap song catalog actually offers a pretty deep look into the man now running City Hall.
The Grandma, the Food Critic, and the Astoria Subway
You can’t talk about Mamdani's music without talking about "Nani." Released in 2019, this track is basically the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of South Asian Brooklyn/Queens rap. It’s an homage to his grandmother, but it’s not some sappy ballad. It stars the legendary Madhur Jaffrey—yes, the world-renowned food writer and actress—as a foul-mouthed, tracksuit-wearing, absolute boss of a grandmother.
The video was shot on the Astoria Boulevard subway platform. It’s gritty, colorful, and hilariously defiant. Seeing an 80-something-year-old icon flip the bird and strut through Queens while Mamdani drops bars about heritage and struggle is... a lot. But it worked.
"When you are a C-list rapper, seeking to get the word out about your music, in many ways you are using the same principles of being an organizer."
Mamdani said that back in 2020. He wasn't lying. The same hustle he used to get views on "Nani" is the one he used to knock on doors in Astoria. It’s about meeting people where they are. Sometimes that’s a rally, and sometimes it’s a beat produced by his best friend.
Young Cardamom & HAB: The Ugandan Connection
Mamdani wasn’t just a New York rapper. He was born in Kampala, Uganda, and his early music reflects that dual identity in a way that’s actually pretty sophisticated. Alongside his childhood friend HAB (Abdul Bar Hussein), he formed the duo Young Cardamom & HAB.
They weren't just trying to sound like Drake or Jay-Z. They were rapping in Luganda, Nubi, Swahili, and English. Their 2016 EP, Sidda Mukyaalo ("No going back to the village"), was a staple at the Nyege Nyege festival.
Their breakout hit? A song called "Kanda (Chap Chap)." It’s literally a song about chapati.
But like most things Mamdani does, it had layers. The chapati is an Indian flatbread that became a staple in Uganda—a perfect metaphor for his own family’s history and the complex "brown and black" relations in East Africa. It’s catchy, sure, but it’s also a commentary on colonialism and cultural fusion.
Key Tracks You Should Actually Listen To
- "#1 Spice": Featured in the film Queen of Katwe (directed by his mother, Mira Nair). It features Lupita Nyong’o dancing in the video. Not a bad flex for a "B-list rapper."
- "Salaam": Released in 2017 under the name Zohran Kwame. This one is more serious—an ode to being Muslim in New York City post-2016. It’s the track his political opponents tried to use against him during the mayoral race, claiming it was "too extreme."
- "Wabula Naawe": A high-energy track that shows off his flow in multiple languages.
Why the Music Mattered for the Mayor’s Race
Most people thought the rap career would be a liability. It wasn't. In a city like New York, authenticity is currency. While Andrew Cuomo was doing AI-generated attacks and traditional TV spots, Mamdani was leaning into the weirdness of his past.
His campaign videos on TikTok and Instagram felt like music videos. He walked the length of Manhattan (13 miles!) and did a "polar plunge" in a business suit to advocate for a rent freeze. It was performance art meeting policy.
The Zohran Mamdani rap song era taught him how to "de-contextualize" ideas. He figured out that if you can make a song about flatbread go viral, you can probably make a "city-run grocery store" sound like a good idea to a guy waiting for the N train.
The Critics and the Controversy
It wasn't all "Nani" and spice, though. During the heated primary in 2025, lyrics from "Salaam" were dissected by the tabloids. Critics argued that his past rhetoric was too radical for a mayor. Mamdani, for his part, didn't back down from his identity, though he did moderate his stance on the NYPD after his primary win.
He apologized for calling the department "racist" in old social media posts, but he never apologized for the music. Why would he? It’s part of the resume now. New York has had billionaire mayors and cop mayors. Now it has a mayor who knows how to mix a track in six languages.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're trying to track down the Mamdani discography, here is what you need to do:
- Search SoundCloud and YouTube: Use the names "Young Cardamom" and "Mr. Cardamom." Most of the 2015-2019 era stuff is still there.
- Watch Queen of Katwe: Look for the soundtrack credits. Mamdani didn't just rap; he curated the music for the film.
- Check the 2025 Transition Site: Believe it or not, some of the energy from his music videos has carried over into his official "The Work Starts Now" messaging.
The transition from the booth to Gracie Mansion is officially complete. Whether his policies will have the same rhythm as his bars remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the City Hall playlist just got a lot more interesting.
To see how his musical background is influencing current NYC policy, check the official 2026 city budget proposals for "Cultural Arts & Grassroots Organizing" funding. You can also visit the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment website to see new initiatives for local Queens artists that mirror his own path.
