Camilla Jessen
Mamdani addressed the rapper’s comments during an appearance on The Beat with Ari Melber.
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani hasn’t even stepped into office yet, but he’s already making headlines for his sharp, measured response to one of his loudest critics: rapper 50 Cent.
The back-and-forth between the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist and the Queens-born music mogul has sparked a viral feud.
Mamdani, who will become the city’s first Muslim mayor in January 2026, rose to victory on a progressive platform that includes raising corporate taxes and imposing a 2% surtax on income above $1 million.
While supporters say these policies are long overdue, critics — including President Donald Trump and 50 Cent — have called them dangerous and out of touch.
50 Cent: ‘RIP NYC’
It didn’t take long for 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson III) to make his opinion known.
Following Mamdani’s win, the rapper took to Instagram, mocking the new mayor’s salary and proposing to buy him a first-class ticket “away from NY.”
In a since-deleted post, he added: “THE MAN’S first job is Mayor… I need a drink!” He also posted a gravestone image reading: “RIP NYC, Founded 1624, Died 2025.”
Jackson, who now lives in Texas, suggested Mamdani’s tax plan would chase wealth out of the city and spark unrest if it also involved defunding police.
Mamdani: ‘Even though we disagree, I still listen to Many Men”
Appearing on MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber, Mamdani responded with unexpected humor.
“I didn’t even know my salary until I saw 50 Cent’s Instagram post,” he said, smiling. “That’s how I found out.”
Speaking directly to the rapper, Mamdani added: “Even though we disagree on tax policy, every time I get a death threat, I still listen to Many Men.”
The comment quickly went viral.
While Mamdani remains firm on his progressive proposals — arguing that a 2% tax on top earners would fund universal childcare, expanded transit, and affordable housing — 50 Cent has framed the plan as a threat to New York’s future.
“His intentions are good,” Jackson said in a more tempered post that followed the viral exchange, “but his tax plan is gonna run the big money out of the city. And if he defunds the police, they are gonna purge.”
Sources: Newsner, Reuters, New York Post
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
