Zohran Mamdani cringes as his rap video plays during interview: 'Didn't think it was going to be on CNN'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Democrat Zohran Mamdani was seen cringing as soon as his rap song's video was played during his recent news interview with CNN on Thursday, June 26.

Mamdani was on CNN's 'Erin Burnett OutFront' where the host used his infamous hip-hop video as an introduction to the 33-year-old politician, who performed the rap under the name "Mr Cardamom", according to the New York Post.

Zohran Mamdani cringes over his rap song during news interview

The rap video showed the Queens assemblyman grimacing and flinching as the video started to play, trying to laugh off the reminder of his attempt at a music career.

Host Erin Burnett told the Democrat, "Once you do it, it’s out there."

Mamdani then smiled and said, "It’s there. Didn’t think it was going to be on CNN."

Burnett then asked the politician, offering him a chance to respond to critics who believe he is "not ready now" to be the mayor of New York.

Mamdani replied, "I would say a campaign offers a glimpse into what an administration would look like, and we built a campaign the likes of which the city has not seen in a long time."

Meanwhile, in the 2017 track 'Holy Land Five', Mamdani praised five men, known as the 'Holy Land Five', from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.

Interestingly, these men were convicted in 2008 of donating more than $12 million to Hamas.

Mamdani sang as Mr Cardamom in a song called "Salam", "My love to the Holy Land Five. You better look ‘em up."

The five men, Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader, and Abdulrahman Odeh, were convicted by the US Justice Department on 108 counts, including supporting terrorism, tax fraud, and money laundering, per the New York Post.

Mamdani's rapping gimmick faced the brunt for rapper 50 Cent, who took a jibe at the politician and offered the Socialist $258,000 to drop out of the race and leave New York for good. 

The OG rapper took to Instagram on Wednesday, June 25, and wrote, "Where did he come from? Whose friend is this? I’m not feeling this plan. No. I will give him $258,750 and a first class one-way ticket away from NY."

50 Cent fired back at comments Mamdani made about raising taxes while appearing on "The Breakfast Club" earlier in June, per the New York Post.

Internet trolls Zohran Mamdani and CNN

Many internet users trolled Zohran Mamdani and CNN as his rap song's video was played during his recent news interview.

A user wrote on X, "Let the clown keep talking the more he does the better for true New Yorkers," while one added, "Will somebody please rap on their heads and see if anyone is home. I am guessing no one will come to the door."

A person also stated, "Lots of questions Erin?" whereas one mentioned, "I wonder if Erin can rap! Anyone has her on tape spitting lyrics and hip hop verses?"

A user also wrote, "He's so creepy. His smile belies disingenuous smugness. Ugh," while one commented, "CNN hates America."

A person also mentioned, "It's amazing. You celebrate and slobber all over a socialist, unqualified mayoral candidate and condemn anything associated with Trump and R. You are biased hack."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.