New York City just got its most culturally connected mayor in decades. Zohran Mamdani made history Thursday (January 1) when he took the oath of office, becoming the first former rapper to lead America’s biggest city.
But this wasn’t your typical political ceremony. Mamdani brought his culture to City Hall.
The 34-year-old dropped a Jadakiss reference that had the crowd going wild. “We will, in the words of Jason Terrance Phillips – better known as Jadakiss or J to the Muah – be outside!” he said during his inaugural speech.
The crowd erupted when Mamdani said Jadakiss’s government name and then dropped the “be outside” reference. It was pure New York energy. This moment showed something bigger than just a politician trying to be cool. Mamdani actually lived the culture before politics.
He rapped under the names Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom in the 2010s.
His music wasn’t just for fun either. Mamdani used rap to address real issues such as racism and colonialism. His 2016 EP featured six languages and paid tribute to his Ugandan roots.
The inauguration felt like a block party more than a stuffy government event. Bernie Sanders swore him in while Mamdani placed his hand on a Quran, making him NYC’s first Muslim mayor, too.
Grammy winner Lucy Dacus performed “Bread and Roses,” a labor rights anthem. Mandy Patinkin led a school choir in “Over the Rainbow.” The whole thing mixed high culture with street culture perfectly.
Thousands of people packed City Hall and spilled onto Broadway for what organizers called a citywide block party. An a cappella group called Sing Out, Louise! even wrote an original song about Mamdani set to “New York, New York.”
The Hip-Hop connection runs deeper than just references, though.
Mamdani already tapped rapper Mysonne for a criminal justice role in his administration. That move shows he’s serious about bringing authentic voices to government.
Some people weren’t feeling the vibe. A small group of protesters gathered across from the stage to voice concerns about Mamdani’s positions on Israel and Gaza.
But for most New Yorkers who showed up, this felt like their moment. Grace Rector, 26, said she felt “like a kid again,” believing the government could actually help people.
Mamdani promised to use his platform to protect vulnerable New Yorkers and push back against conservative policies from Washington. He wants to create what he calls a “multicultural utopia” where different communities can thrive together.
After the ceremony, Mamdani didn’t just disappear into a limo. He went to Brooklyn to announce new policies targeting predatory landlords. Then he came back to City Hall to hand out hot chocolate to cleanup crews.
That’s the kind of mayor New York hasn’t seen before: someone who understands both the culture and the struggle. From Mr. Cardamom to Mr. Mayor, Zohran Mamdani is bringing a whole new energy to City Hall.
The question now is whether he can turn that cultural connection into real change for everyday New Yorkers.
Related