NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still earning rap music royalties, tax filings show
NEW YORK– New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to earn money from his short-lived career as a multilingual rapper, tax filings show.
But the 34-year-old Democrat’s meteoric rise as a celebrity politician has brought only a modest increase in hip-hop’s profits: He pocketed $1,643 in music royalties last year, up slightly from $1,267 in 2024, filings show.
Mamdani, who rapped under the monikers “Young Cardamom” and “Mr. Cardamom,” joked Thursday that New Yorkers should “go to Spotify” if they want to improve his results. “A lot of people say they’re listening,” he added. “They don’t listen.”
Mamdani began rapping in high school, releasing socially conscious songs in his 20s on topics ranging from Indian flatbread to colonialism. He has described himself as a “C-list rapper” following in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, including indie rap group Das Racist.
The tax returns, shared with reporters Thursday, show that the bulk of Mamdani’s 2025 income came from his $131,296 salary as a member of the state Assembly. His wife earned another $10,010 for graphic design work. In total, they reported joint income of about $145,000.
As mayor, Mamdani is expected to earn a salary of $258,750 this year.
He’s not the first New York mayor to collect royalties from home entertainment.
According to his redacted 2012 tax return, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg received between $2,000 and $10,000 in residuals from previous appearances in his role on the TV show “Law.” & Order,” the 2008 television special “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa” and the 2011 film “The Adjustment Bureau,” starring Matt Damon.
