New York — New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani still makes money from his company Short-lived career His tax returns also show him as a multilingual rapper.
But the 34-year-old Democrat Meteoric rise as a famous politician He’s had only a modest increase in hip-hop earnings: He took in $1,643 in music royalties last year, up only slightly from $1,267 in 2024, according to filings.
Mamdani, who raps under the monikers “Young Cardamom” and “Mr. Cardamom,” joked Thursday that New Yorkers should “go to Spotify” if they want to help his bottom line. “A lot of people say they are listening,” he added. “They’re not listening.”
Mamdani began rapping in high school, and released socially conscious songs in his 20s on topics ranging from Indian flatbreads to colonialism. He described himself as a “Rapper C-“ He follows in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, including the indie rap group Das Racist.
Tax filings, shared with reporters Thursday, showed the bulk of Mamdani’s 2025 earnings came from his $131,296 salary as a state Assembly member. His wife received an additional $10,010 for graphic design work. In total, they reported a combined income of about $145,000.
As mayor, Mamdani is set to earn a salary of $258,750 this year.
He’s not the first New York City mayor to take home entertainment royalties.
According to his redacted 2012 tax return, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg received between $2,000 and $10,000 in residuals from a previous appearance as himself on the TV show “The Law.” & Order”, the 2008 TV special “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa” and the 2011 film “The Adjustment Bureau” starring Matt Damon.