Can Mr. Cardamom Become Mr. Mayor? Inside Mamdani’s Campaign
Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in New York City’s 2025 mayoral race, has a background unlike any other candidate, before politics, he was Mr. Cardamom, a multicultural rapper who blended Ugandan beats with lyrics about identity and diaspora.
Raised between Uganda and Queens, Mamdani performed in the hip-hop duo Young Cardamom & HAB, earning recognition with songs like “#1 Spice,” which appeared in Disney’s Queen of Katwe, directed by his mother, award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair.
By 2020, Mamdani shifted his focus from music to politics, winning a seat in the New York State Assembly representing Queens. Today, supporters say his unique blend of grassroots politics and cultural storytelling resonates with one of the world’s most diverse cities.
As his mayoral campaign gains momentum, the question is whether his artistic past will become an asset or a distraction.