Zohran Mamdani is still getting paid from his rap career

Zohran Mamdani is still making money from his old rap career.

The New York City mayor’s 2025 tax returns, viewed by Business Insider, include $1,643 in royalties — an increase from the $1,267 he reported for 2024.

Long before he was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, Mamdani had a short-lived rap career under the moniker “Young Cardamom.”

Mamdani filed jointly with his wife, Rama Duwaji. The documents show that she made $8,860 for graphic design work and wrote off several expenses, including $500 in art supplies, $250 in web hosting costs, $300 from small equipment and software, and $100 for shipping and packaging.

The couple also got a $7,011 tax refund, including $5,704 from the federal government and $1,307 from New York state.

The average tax refund for individual filers this year is $3,462, according to the latest IRS data, though couples typically see a higher refund.

In total, the couple reported a joint income of $143,634 for 2025, the bulk of which came from the $131,296 that Mamdani earned as a state assemblyman. The couple also reported $1,599 in capital gains income.

The disclosure comes as Mamdani promotes a new wealth tax on second homes worth more than $5 million.

The mayor highlighted the policy while standing in front of billionaire Ken Griffin’s penthouse, which sits in a building overlooking Central Park.

Next year’s tax return is likely to look a lot different for Mamdani than the last two years.

As mayor, he’s now earning an annual salary of $258,750, over $100,000 more than he earned in the state assembly.

He’s also saving money on rent. Like most mayors before him (aside from Mike Bloomberg), Mamdani opted to move into Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence on the Upper East Side.