NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Still Makes Money From His Old Rap Career — Earned $1,643 Last Year

Political careers often come with unexpected details. But few are as unusual as the revelation that New York City's mayor is still earning money from a youthful rap career. Recent tax filings show the 34-year-old Democratic mayor of New York collected $1,643 in music royalties in 2025 from songs he recorded years ago. The modest figure has sparked a wave of curiosity online, reminding many voters that before entering politics, Mamdani briefly pursued music under the stage names Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom.

The disclosure offers a rare glimpse into the personal history of a rising political figure whose background blends activism, culture, and public service.

A Short-Lived Rap Career That Refuses to Fade

Mamdani began experimenting with rap during his high school years, later releasing a handful of tracks in his twenties. The songs were often multilingual and socially conscious, touching on topics ranging from immigration and colonial history to the everyday experiences of diaspora communities. Some tracks even referenced food and culture—an example being lyrics about Indian flatbread—reflecting Mamdani's distinctive mix of humour and political commentary.

Speaking about the royalties recently, Mamdani joked that anyone wanting to boost his earnings should simply stream his music. 'A lot of people say they're listening,' he quipped, 'but they're not listening.'

Despite the light-hearted tone, the royalties illustrate a curious reality of the digital music age: even artists with limited commercial reach can continue earning small amounts years after releasing their work, thanks to streaming platforms such as Spotify.

From Indie Rap to City Hall

While the music career was brief, Mamdani's political rise has been far more dramatic. Before becoming mayor, he served in the New York State Assembly, where tax records show he earned $131,296 in salary during 2025. His wife reported $10,010 in income from graphic design work, bringing their total household income to roughly $145,000. Now, as mayor of New York City, Mamdani's compensation has increased significantly. His official salary is $258,750 per year.

The contrast between those figures and his rap royalties—barely over a thousand dollars—has amused many observers online. Yet it also humanises a public figure who, like many people in their twenties, once pursued creative ambitions before settling into a different career.

'C-List Rapper,' By His Own Admission

Mamdani has never exaggerated the scale of his musical success. In interviews, he has described himself as a 'C-list rapper,' a self-deprecating label that captures the modest reach of his music. His inspiration came partly from the indie rap group Das Racist, known for mixing humour, politics and cultural commentary in their lyrics. Like that group, Mamdani's songs often experimented with language and identity, reflecting the diverse cultural landscape that would later shape his political worldview.

Although the music never reached mainstream audiences, the recordings remain available online, quietly generating the occasional royalty payment years later.

Not the First Mayor With Entertainment Income

Interestingly, Mamdani is not the first New York mayor to receive income from entertainment projects. Tax records show that former mayor Michael Bloomberg once earned residual payments from television and film appearances where he played himself. These included guest spots on the long-running crime series Law & Order and appearances in the 2011 science-fiction film The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon.

According to Bloomberg's 2012 tax return, those residuals ranged somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000—a reminder that entertainment income can occasionally follow public figures long after the cameras stop rolling.

A Cultural Past That Still Echoes

For Mamdani, the royalties may be small, but they serve as a reminder of a creative chapter that helped shape his voice. Long before campaign speeches and policy debates, he experimented with rhythm and lyrics to express ideas about society, culture and politics. In many ways, those early songs mirrored the themes he would later champion in public life.

And so, while the mayor now oversees one of the world's most complex cities, somewhere in the background a few streams continue to play—quietly sending a couple of thousand dollars a year back to the man once known as Young Cardamom.

For New Yorkers, it's a small but memorable detail: their mayor may run City Hall by day, but a trace of his rap career still lives on in the algorithms of the streaming era.