Latest news with #1Spice
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zohran Mamdani Used to Rap — and His Catalog Has Been Surging in Streams
On Tuesday night (June 24), New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani became the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, defeating a crowded field that included early frontrunner and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. As the race heated up and Mamdani gained momentum, a surprising part of his past re-emerged online: his rap career. More from Billboard NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani's Old Rap Videos Are Going Viral Ask Billboard: Here Are the Nos. 1 & 2 Reasons That the Hot 100 Has Been Historic This Month Inside Bouyon: How a Fusion of Local Folk Music & Digitized Instruments Gave Way to Dominica's Fast-Spreading Homegrown Genre Before his political rise, the 33-year-old rapped under the names Young Cardamom and then Mr. Cardamom. As old videos circulated online in the lead-up to the primary, curious voters were quick to stream his music, resulting in notable gains. In 2016, Mamdani released a six-track EP, Sidda Mukyaalo, alongside his close friend and collaborator Abdul Bar Hussein (who raps under the name HAB). On the EP, the pair raps in six different languages, while drawing from the members' shared Ugandan heritage — Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York City at age seven. In addition to the EP, the tandem released the song '#1 Spice' on the soundtrack to the Disney biographical drama Queen of Katwe. Here's a recent week-by-week breakdown of on-demand official streams for Young Cardamom and HAB's catalog (which comprises seven songs), in the United States and globally, according to Luminate: Combined U.S. Streams for Young Cardamom & HAB's Catalog May 23-29: less than 1,000 May 30-June 5: less than 1,000 (up 10%) June 6-12: 2,000 (up 473%) June 13-19: 15,000 (up 582%) Combined Global Streams for Young Cardamom & HAB's Catalog May 23-29: less than 1,000 May 30-June 5: less than 1,000 (up 24%) June 6-12: 3,000 (up 312%) June 13-19: 20,000 (up 555%) Compared to the two weeks before the news of Mamdani's rap background surfaced (May 23-June 5), the duo's catalog jumped 2,300% in the U.S. and 1,543% globally. '#1 Spice' saw the most substantial gains in the act's catalog. Queen of Katwe stars Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo, and was directed by Mamdani's mother, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair. Nyong'o even appears in the song's music video, alongside Mamdani and HAB. Here's a four-week breakdown of the song's streams in both the U.S. and globally: U.S. Streams for '#1 Spice' May 23-29: less than 1,000 May 30-June 5: less than 1,000 June 6-12: 2,000 (up 561%) June 13-19: 14,000 (up 557%) Global Streams for '#1 Spice' May 23-29: less than 1,000 May 30-June 5: less than 1,000 (up 29%) June 6-12: 3,000 (up 362%) June 13-19: 19,000 (up 556%) In just two weeks, '#1 Spice' surged by 2,600% in U.S. streams and 1,900% globally. According to a 2019 New York Times story about actress Madhur Jaffrey, Mamdani made his rap debut in the late 2000s while running for student vice president at Bronx High School of Science. He rapped under a platform that promised freshly squeezed juices for all. He lost that election, but it paved the way for his future political aspirations. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Sinar Daily
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sinar Daily
Rapper-turned-reformer Zohran Mamdani unconventional path to NYC mayoral
SHAH ALAM – He rapped his way through high school, surfed SoundCloud in his twenties and now, Zohran Mamdani, rapper-turned-rent reformer, is one step away from becoming the next Mayor of New York City. The 33-year-old Democratic socialist and first-generation immigrant has just pulled off a stunning political upset, defeating former Governor and seasoned political heavyweight Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. AFP photo He is now primed to record a historic moment in United States (US) history as the first Muslim immigrant Mayor of New York City, the country's largest city. A Mayor in the Making, Born in Kampala Born in Kampala, Uganda, to celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair and Harvard professor Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran was just seven when his family moved to New York. Despite having a last name that carried prestige in academic and creative circles, Zohran's own path was what many would call unconventional. Still, for immigrants around the world who resonated with him, his journey was not all that different from theirs. He grew up navigating immigrant life in Queens, attended the Bronx High School of Science where he lost a student council race after running a campaign entirely in rhyme and eventually earned a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. There, he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, planting the seeds of a lifelong activist streak. He became a US citizen in 2018 and wasted no time diving into grassroots politics. Just three years later, he won a seat in the New York State Assembly representing Astoria, Queens and the rest, as they say, is political history in the making. Mr. Cardamom, Your Future Mayor? Before politics, there was poetry. And beats subjective tastes apply. Mamdani's past life as a rapper under the names "Young Cardamom" and "Mr. Cardamom" has become the internet's favourite subplot in his meteoric rise. His single '#1 Spice,' created with childhood friend Abdul Car Hussein (a.k.a. HAB), earned a spot on the soundtrack of Disney's Queen of Katwe, a film directed by his own mother. 'Every brown boy lived on SoundCloud at one point,' he joked during a recent appearance on the Kutti Gang comedy show. 'I'm running on a very simple message. It's not about being on SoundCloud, though, respect," he said. His 2019 music video for the track 'Nani,' a playful ode to his grandmother Praveen Nair (founder of the Salaam Baalak Trust), starred Indian-American legend Madhur Jaffrey and has now surpassed 279,000 views on YouTube. With lyrics like '85 years gold' and 'best damn Nani that you ever done seen,' Mamdani's creative chops clearly extend beyond policy memos. New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) greets voters with Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake on 161st Street on June 24, 2025 in the South Bronx in New York City. AFP photo Grassroots Gold Mamdani's campaign has echoed the structure of his past projects: creative, scrappy and built on community support. His bid for mayor raised over US$7 million, largely from more than 16,000 small donors. Consider that his net worth, estimated only to be between US$200,000 and US$300,000, stands in stark contrast to the billionaires who typically dominate American politics. His income largely comes from his US$142,000 salary as an Assemblyman and he also receives annual rap royalties, amounting to approximately US$1,267 per year. It is not just about the money. Mamdani's message has resonated across New York's working-class, immigrant and progressive communities. His proposals include free public buses, city-run affordable grocery stores, tripling the production of union-built rent-stabilised housing and a US$10 billion tax hike on the wealthy to fund it all. "This is a city where one in four of its people are living in poverty, a city where 500,000 kids go to sleep hungry every night. 'Ultimately, it's a city that is in danger of losing that which makes it so special," Mamdani said in a talk with BBC. Unafraid and Unapologetically Muslim A sorely missed but undoubtedly needed element in America's often complex and ever-shifting stance on pro-Islamic and anti-Islamic matters is a Muslim voice. Mamdani, however, wears his faith proudly. It is interesting to note that throughout his campaign and during Ramadan, he broke fast on a subway train with a burrito to highlight food insecurity. He also frequently visited mosques and released a campaign video entirely in Urdu. Mira Nair, New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) Rama Duwaji and Mahmood Mamdani celebrate on stage during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025 in the Long Island City neighbourhood of the Queens borough in New York City. AFP photo 'We know that to stand in public as a Muslim is also to sacrifice the safety that we can sometimes find in the shadows,' he told a rally this spring. Despite the overwhelming support from American Muslims and Muslims worldwide, that visibility has undoubtedly painted a large bullseye target on his back. Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has faced Islamophobic threats and even calls for deportation from Donald Trump-aligned council members—despite being a US citizen. 'Death threats. Islamophobic bigotry. Now a sitting Council member is calling for my deportation. Enough. This is what Trump and his sycophants have wrought. It's an assault on the values of our city and our Constitution,' his response stated. Trump's Worst Nightmare If Mamdani is the musical, multicultural antithesis of a billionaire real estate mogul and twice-impeached convicted felon, it is most definitely not by accident. 'I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in,' Mamdani declared earlier in his campaign. Trump, never one to hold back, took to Truth Social with his signature flair for hyperbole and insult and fired back at the soon-to-be youngest New York Mayor in United States history. 'It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100 per cent communist lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he's not very smart,' Trump wrote. In a separate post, Trump mocked Democratic backers like New York City congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and called US Senator Chuck Schumer 'our Great Palestinian Senator,' accusing him of 'grovelling over Mamdani.' A Hopeful Future Whether rapping about turmeric or battling for tenant rights, Mamdani's journey from Kampala to City Hall has never been linear. It's been poetic, political and sometimes personal. With his grassroots engine, progressive policies and a platform grounded in dignity and diversity, he's not just campaigning for mayor, he's rewriting what leadership can look like in the biggest city in the world. 'Tonight, we made history. 'I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City," Mamdani told his supporters. All that's left is the final chorus when Mr. Cardamom becomes Mayor Mamdani, bringing some poetic justice to New York and America.
Indianapolis Star
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Mr. Cardamom? Zohran Mamdani, NYC's Democratic mayoral candidate, was a rapper.
Zohran Mamdani turned heads after winning New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday night. The election caught the attention of the country and in true internet fashion, a piece of Mamdani's past – a musical piece, at that – has been brought to light. Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic socialist who has strong stances on renters' rights, affordable developments and higher taxes for the wealthy, defied odds by pushing out frontrunner and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But Mamdani's progressive views aren't the only surprising thing about him. Since winning the primary, videos and music associated with Mamdani's old rap career have gone viral. In a "past life," Mamdani was known under the monikers Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom. In 2016, Mamdani's song, #1 Spice, produced under the name Young Cardamom with Mamdani's childhood friend Abdul Car Hussein, who performed as HAB, was featured in Disney's "Queen of Katwe," directed by Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair. Starring Lupita Nyong'o, "Queen of Katwe" tells the story of 10-year-old Phiona who becomes fascinated with chess, introduced to her by a missionary visiting her hometown of Kampala, Uganda. "#1 Spice" is the first track in the movie. Mamdani's team did not immediately respond for comment about his rapping past when contacted by USA TODAY on June 25. But during a recent guest appearance on Kutti Gang, a New York comedy show, Mamdani did poke fun at independent artists. "Every brown boy lived on SoundCloud at one point," Mamdani said during the show, laughing. "I'm running on a very simple message. It's not about being on SoundCloud, though, respect." The sole video on Mr. Cardamom's YouTube channel is a 2019 music video for his song, "Nani," dedicated to his grandmother Praveen Nair, the founder of Salaam Baalak Trust, a nonprofit that supports underprivileged children in Delhi, India, according to The New York Times. The video, which stars American-Indian actress Madhur Jaffrey as Nair, had more than 279,000 views as of June 25. Produced when Mamdani was 27 years old, according to The New York Times, "Nani" tells the story of an underappreciated grandmother who describes herself as the "85 years gold" and the "best damn Nani that you ever done seen." Mamdani's musical career got its start when he was a junior at Bronx High School of Science, according to reporting by The New York Times. He ran for class vice president on a rapping campaign and unlike this week, lost. Around 2015, Mamdani began rapping under Young Cardamom. In 2016, Mamdani and Hussein recorded and released a six-song EP titled, "Sidda Mukyaalo". "Nani" is the only song available under Mamdani's Mr. Cardamom moniker, available on Spotify, Apple Music and of course, YouTube. "#1 Spice" and the full "Sidda Mukyaalo" EP are available for streaming on Young Cardamom's Spotify. Largely, Mamdani's past rap career has received positive reviews from NYC voters and those elsewhere following the election. The top comment on the "Nani" YouTube video reads, "That's Mayor Mr. Cardamom to you!" Another comment on the video reads, "I love how every other politician has a crazy scandal and Zohran's just out here with a track about his Nani (grannie)." Comedian and filmmaker Esau Hamadanyan poked fun at the mayoral candidate in a social media post on Wednesday. "Zohran Mamdani did what very few men can accomplish: Acknowledge your rap mixtape is not that good, and switch lanes," comedian and filmmaker Hamadanyan wrote. "(I love Zohran, just goofin."
