![Zohran Mamdani: Embarrassment for NYC Mayoral Candidate after His Rap Video Is Played During Live Interview [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.ibtimes.sg%2Fen%2Ffull%2F82218%2Fzohran-mamdani.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Zohran Mamdani: Embarrassment for NYC Mayoral Candidate after His Rap Video Is Played During Live Interview [WATCH]
It was quite an embarrassment. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's 2019 rap video unexpectedly gained national attention on Thursday night during a cringe-worthy moment in a live CNN interview that visibly left the New York City mayoral candidate uncomfortable.
Mamdani was a guest on Erin Burnett OutFront, where the host kicked off his segment by playing the low-budget hip-hop video he released under the stage name "Mr. Cardamom," putting the 33-year-old progressive politician in an awkward spotlight. The Queens assemblyman winced and shifted uncomfortably as the video was played without his knowledge as he trying to brush off the embarrassing flashback to his short-lived rap career with a very shaky laugh.
In Discomfort Zone
"Once you do it, it's out there," Burnett said to Mamdani. "It's there. Didn't think it was going to be on CNN," Mamdani said through a wincing smile.
Burnett then challenged Mamdani, giving him the chance to respond to the critics who claim he's "not ready yet" to take on the role of New York City mayor.
"I would say a campaign offers a glimpse into what an administration would look like, and we built a campaign the likes of which the city has not seen in a long time," Mamdani replied, eliding over Mr. Cardamom's performance entirely.
Mamdani's mild political statements on Thursday were a stark contrast to the bold lyrics he once rapped under his stage name — some of which openly supported organizations that backed the terrorist group Hamas.
In his 2017 song "Holy Land Five," the Democratic mayoral hopeful praised five people associated with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. These men, known as the "Holy Land Five," were convicted in 2008 for funneling over $12 million to Hamas.
Questionable Past Threat to Political Career
"My love to the Holy Land Five. You better look 'em up," Mamdani as Mr. Cardamom sang in a song called "Salam."
The five men — Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader, and Abdulrahman Odeh — were found guilty by the U.S. Justice Department on 108 charges, including providing material support to terrorism, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Mamdani, whose rap skills have drawn criticism, got a reality check from none other than New York rapper 50 Cent, who publicly offered the socialist candidate $258,000 to exit the mayoral race and permanently leave New York.
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