NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had a full-circle moment this week when the music site Stereogum finally responded to an email he sent eight years ago—back when he was an aspiring rapper.
In a post on X, Stereogum shared a screenshot of Mamdani’s 2017 message, which began: “Hi Stereogum, I’m a rapper here in NYC and I’ve just released a new song titled Salaam.” The email went on to describe the song as being about “what it means to be Muslim here in America today — the fear, and the roots of that fear.”
Mamdani had written to the publication’s tips inbox, saying it would be “a dream” if someone at Stereogum covered the track. At the time, he performed under the name Zohran Kwame.
Stereogum’s belated reply came this week in the form of a playful caption:
“#tbt sorry we missed this, Mr. Mayor-Elect.”
The exchange quickly went viral as social media users celebrated the poetic timing. Many noted the humor in a once-overlooked artist now holding the highest office in New York City.
The resurfaced email offered a glimpse into Mamdani’s creative past — and a reminder that even unanswered messages can come back in surprising ways.
#tbt sorry we missed this, Mr. Mayor-Elect https://t.co/qgcJlfqil1 pic.twitter.com/OrULgdkqTd
— Stereogum (@stereogum) November 6, 2025
This is #Salaam. A song about being Muslim in America today. https://t.co/Pcyrxp3uqI #NoBanNoWall
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) March 27, 2017
