Zohran Mamdani made history when he took the oath of office on January 1st, becoming the first former rapper to lead America’s biggest city.
The 34-year-old dropped a Jadakiss reference that had the crowd going wild. “We will, in the words of Jason Terrance Phillips – better known as Jadakiss or J to the Muah – be outside!” he said during his inaugural speech. The crowd erupted when Mamdani said Jadakiss’s government name and then dropped the “be outside” reference. It was pure New York energy. This moment showed something bigger than just a politician trying to be cool. Mamdani actually lived the culture before politics.
Mamdani used rap to address real issues such as racism and colonialism. His 2016 EP featured six languages and paid tribute to his Ugandan roots. The inauguration felt like a block party more than a stuffy government event. Bernie Sanders swore him in while Mamdani placed his hand on a Quran, making him NYC’s first Muslim mayor, too.
Grammy winner Lucy Dacus performed “Bread and Roses,” a labor rights anthem. Mandy Patinkin led a school choir in “Over the Rainbow.” The whole thing mixed high culture with street culture perfectly.