Mamdani, Wife Made $145K in 2025, Including Rap Royalties

New York's mayor is still bringing in a side income from a past life. Zohran Mamdani, who once released socially minded tracks under the names "Young Cardamom" and "Mr. Cardamom," reported $1,643 in music royalties last year, according to newly released tax filings cited by the AP. Still, the 34-year-old Democrat—who quipped Thursday that New Yorkers eager to boost his finances should "go to Spotify" because "a lot of people say they're listening [but] they're not listening"—earns almost all of his money from politics.

The New York Times notes that "anyone looking for evidence of secret wealth [will] be disappointed": Mamdani made about $131,000 as a state Assembly member, while his wife, Rama Duwaji, earned roughly $10,000 from graphic design work, for a combined income near $145,000. That figure will jump during next year's tax season when Mamdani claims his mayoral salary of $258,750, per the AP.

So how much is the couple getting back from the state and federal governments? Per Politico, their tax refund will come out to be just over $7,000, as Mamdani apparently overpaid his taxes in 2025. The mayor, who has called himself a "C-list rapper," isn't the first city leader with residual checks coming in: Michael Bloomberg's 2012 tax return showed up to $10,000 in royalties from cameos in Law & Order, a Muppets Christmas special, and the Matt Damon film The Adjustment Bureau.