New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that Pakistani rapper Shamoon Ismail was one of the artists in his playlist, saying he had been listening to the musician for years. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mamdani opened up about his love for music while sharing some of the artists on his playlist, featuring musicians from Uganda, Pakistan, and the United States. "I've also been listening to a Pakistani rapper named Shamoon Ismail, who I've listened to for a few years, but I'm also listening to a little bit more of his music," Mamdani said.
Reflecting on his relationship with music, the NYC mayor stated, "It's part of how I understand the world and how I understand my place in the world." He also recalled some of his earliest memories in New York City, saying, "I used to love going to Tower Records. They would have just floors of an incredible number of CDs and, for some reason, I loved The Offspring at the time." The NYC mayor also reminisced about discovering artists such as Jay-Z and Eiffel 65. The first version I was given was the clean version of Jay-Z's The Blueprint.
The funny thing was that they used to sell bootleg CDs right outside of Tower Records, and that's where I bought Eiffel 65's Europop," Mamdani shared. Born in Uganda, Mamdani also spoke about his connection to his roots. "I've been listening to a lot of Radio & Weasel, who are a duo from Uganda, who were running the charts for a long, long time," he said.
Adding a country favourite to the mix, the mayor stated, "And, you know, if I'm feeling reflective, throw on some Kacey Musgraves." Of South Asian and East African descent, Mamdani famously wrapped up his 2025 electoral winning speech to the iconic Bollywood track Dhoom Machale, while his parents and wife walked onto stage. View this post on Instagram In a previous interview, Mamdani also spoke about Indian-American rapper Himanshu Suri, better known as Heems, who he said had been one of his favourite artists since before he decided to enter politics. The NYC mayor's candid conversations about music have garnered praise from fans.
His eclectic and relatable taste — from Jay-Z and Kacey Musgraves to Uganda's Radio & Weasel and Pakistan's Shamoon Ismail — helped many relate to Mamdani while introducing others to artists they may not have discovered otherwise.
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