Mayor Mamdani and Nas have had a heart-to-heart about keeping hip hop alive in New York City. The conversation took place at Queensbridge Park, outside Nas’s childhood home in the Queensbridge Projects. The video comes from the Mayor’s Office, and it captures the two men talking about the roots of hip hop and what it means to New York’s past, present, and future.
Mamdani’s Rap History
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a secret history in music. He used to rap under the names Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom. Now he is sitting with Nas, one of the most important figures in hip hop, to talk about the city’s responsibility to the culture.
The mayor’s point is simple: New York City should not just be remembered as the place where hip hop began. It should still be the place where hip hop lives. That means artists who create here need to be able to stay here.
“We can’t be content with New York City simply being the birthplace of hip hop,” says Mamdani. “We want it to still be its home, and that means ensuring that the artists who create here are actually able to live here.”
The Cost of Living Problem
Mamdani points to the city’s rising cost of living as the threat. Communities who created New York’s thriving culture are now being pushed out. His worry is that art could become a luxury good if the city gets too expensive.
“If we allow New York to become such an expensive city that art becomes a luxury good, then we are depriving future generations from the magic of art,” he says. “New Yorkers deserve a city that is a living, breathing testament to what it looks like when we create the conditions to help this art form flourish.”
Nas on Hip Hop’s Origins
Nas speaks about hip hop’s impact and where it came from. He says hip hop tells the truth about the city.
“Hip-hop unveils the truth,” says Nas. “Hip-hop tells you exactly what your city looks like, sounds like, feels like. It was an outcry from people who demanded things to change and to tell the world what we were going through. And that came from a city that was going through a whole lot.”
The message is that hip hop started as a way for people to demand change. It was not entertainment first, it was a call for attention.
The Bronx School of Hip Hop
The conversation moves to a school that proves the idea is not just talk. The Bronx School of Hip Hop is a public high school in the Claremont section of the Bronx. It uses hip-hop culture as a foundation for rigorous instruction.
The school serves grades nine through 12 in District Nine. Its curriculum covers emceeing, DJing, graffiti, breaking, and “knowledge of self.” Students also study audio production, digital media, and financial literacy, alongside the standard curriculum.
Principal Jason Reyes speaks about the support the school has received. He says the mayor’s office and the chancellor’s office have backed the project.
“It’s like surreal that New York City mayor’s office, the chancellor’s office, this is their school,” says Reyes. “They said we are going to back this.”
Reyes adds that no one would have expected hip hop to reach this point. He says it means the world to know that New York is leading the way in a way no one else has done it.
A Video Worth Watching
The video is worth seeing for anyone who cares about hip hop. It brings together the mayor, the rap icon, and the school in one place.
The Bronx School of Hip Hop is proof that the idea is more than words. It is a school with a curriculum, a principal, and a mission.
This is a moment worth noting. A mayor who once rapped as Young Cardamom is sitting with a rap icon to talk about keeping hip hop alive. The school founded on hip-hop culture shows the idea is not just talk. It is policy.
Comparing the Two Voices
| Speaker | Role | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor Mamdani | Mayor | Keep hip hop alive by letting artists stay in New York |
| Nas | Rap icon | Hip hop tells the truth about the city |
| Jason Reyes | Principal | Mayor’s office and chancellor’s office are backing the school |
The three voices push the same direction. Mamdani wants to protect the artists. Nas explains why the art matters. Reyes shows the offices are saying they are behind the school.
The School’s Curriculum
The school’s approach is built around practical skills and real-world connections. Students study:
- Emceeing
- DJing
- Graffiti
- Breaking
- Knowledge of self
- Audio production
- Digital media
- Financial literacy
The standard curriculum runs alongside all of this. The school wants students to connect academic content to real-world experiences.
See the video the story is built around at Rolling Stone.
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