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NYC Mayor Rakes In Rap Royalties
17 Apr
Summary
- Mayor collected $1,643 in music royalties last year.
- He performed as a rapper named Young Cardamom.
- His salary as Assembly member was $131,296 in 2025.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to earn income from his past career as a multilingual rapper, collecting $1,643 in music royalties last year. This figure represents a modest increase from the $1,267 earned in 2024.
Mamdani, who performed under the monikers Young Cardamom and Mr Cardamom, began rapping in high school and released socially conscious songs in his twenties. He described himself as a "C-list rapper."
For the 2025 tax year, Mamdani's earnings were predominantly from his $131,296 salary as a state Assembly member. His wife's graphic design work added $10,010, bringing their total reported income to approximately $145,000.
Mamdani is projected to earn $258,750 as mayor this year. Notably, he is not the first New York City mayor to receive entertainment royalties; Michael Bloomberg previously earned between $2,000 and $10,000 from TV and movie appearances.
