New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still getting paid for his old rap career, but the checks are more nostalgic than lucrative. His 2025 tax return shows $1,643 in royalty income from music he recorded under his former stage name, Young Cardamom.
According to Business Insider, that $1,643 in royalties is up from the $1,267 Mamdani reported in 2024, and the couple filed jointly. Documents reviewed by the outlet show the pair reported $143,634 in combined income for 2025, most of it coming from Mamdani's $131,296 pay as a state assemblyman, plus $1,599 in capital gains. They also show his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, earned $8,860 from graphic design work and claimed small write-offs, while the household received a $7,011 refund, about $5,704 from the federal government and $1,307 from New York state. The records also note that Mamdani highlighted a proposed wealth tax outside a billionaire's Central Park penthouse.
From Young Cardamom to City Hall
Long before he held public office, Mamdani recorded under the name Young Cardamom, teaming up with Ugandan rapper HAB and releasing multilingual tracks and an EP that leaned on his Kampala roots. As reported by The Washington Post, those early music ties still shape how he talks about culture and community, even as his audience has shifted from club crowds to city residents.
Small royalties, big optics
The city's payroll schedule lists the mayoral salary at $258,750 a year, according to the City of New York's Office of Management and Budget. The couple formally moved into Gracie Mansion in January, as reported by AP News, which means Mamdani's next tax returns will reflect a larger public salary and a very different housing setup than before.
What the return signals
The modest music income underscores that Mamdani's personal finances remain far from the billionaire class, even as he prepares for broad tax fights over who should pay for city services. He has floated new levies on the very wealthy and warned of a last-resort property tax increase if the state does not act, proposals that have drawn pushback from lawmakers and amplified debate over his agenda, according to The Guardian.
