You can trust Zohran Mamdani with the aux

What the report says

Dazed published a music-focused profile of Zohran Mamdani, describing the New York City mayor as unusually engaged with a wide range of artists despite having shifted from performing to governing. The outlet notes that Mamdani previously rapped under the name Young Cardamom and performed at Uganda’s Nyege Nyege festival in 2016, while now being known publicly for city politics as well as international positions such as calling for Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest.

The article frames Mamdani’s taste as eclectic, citing comments from interviews and campaign-period appearances. Dazed says his early listening included a clean copy of Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, and lists tracks or albums associated with him by Kim Petras, Lil Wayne, Madonna, Ja Rule, Tata Young, Taylor Swift, Dear Evan Hansen, Eiffel 65, Kacey Musgraves, Canadian rapper k-os and Heems. It also highlights his interest in artists connected to South Asian, Ugandan, Canadian and New York hip-hop scenes.

Several selections are tied to his public image and political story. According to Dazed, Mamdani had hoped to walk out as mayor to Ja Rule’s “New York,” later did so, and used Bollywood anthem “Dhoom Machale” as a nod to his Indian heritage. The outlet also reports that he has linked Taylor Swift’s “Only the Young” to his campaign and credited Heems’ political endorsement in a 2015 Village Voice item with drawing him into local politics.

The piece is less a policy report than a cultural portrait, using Mamdani’s playlists and musical references to show how pop culture, identity and campaigning can overlap in the public presentation of an elected official.