From the Bronx to City Hall, Cardi B is bringing her real-life perspective as a mom into New York politics. In a surprise collaboration, she teamed up with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on an initiative that can help change families’ lives.
The Grammy-winning rapper, who grew up in the New York City public school system and is now raising four young children of her own, is lending her voice to Mamdani’s new 2-K program. In a reel posted to his and NYC Mayor’s Instagram account, the duo looked happy to meet each other, with Cardi B joking about his age and the surreal feeling of seeing someone so young leading New York, “Can you believe that we got a 34-year-old mayor? Like, I feel like I’m a kid and you’re like running New York.”
Madami went on to tell her about the citywide effort to provide free childcare for 2-year-olds, asking her what she thought about free childcare. “I feel like free childcare is very important,” she responded. “Sometimes us women, we can’t really go forward because we don’t have nobody to help us take care of our kids.”
To get families paying attention, the pair announced a jingle competition inviting New Yorkers to submit 15- and 30-second original songs promoting the program by April 17. Cardi, who shares her three oldest children with Offset, and her youngest with Stefon Diggs, will help select finalists, and the public will ultimately vote for the winner, which will become the official sound of 2-K across the city.
Mamdani’s pitch is straightforward: starting this fall, the city will offer 2,000 seats across neighborhoods, including the Bronx, Washington Heights, Southeast Queens, and Canarsie – with enrollment opening June 2 and closing June 26.
The goal is to expand access regardless of income or immigration status, removing one of the biggest barriers families face when trying to work, study, or simply stay afloat in New York. Submissions for the jingle contest can be made via New York City’s website.
Cardi, never one to miss a moment, seals the partnership with humor: she’ll judge the contest, while the mayor – as she puts it – “is the one with the funds.”
© IG: @nycmayorFans loved seeing them together. “This makes so much sense. Two baddies helping change the world,” one person commented. “Tearing up watching this because omg that’s exactly where i want my taxes to go,” another added.
In a statement, Mamdani even nodded to Cardi’s breakout hit “Bodak Yellow,” quoting the now-iconic line, “I can get ’em both. I don’t wanna choose,” to underscore the program’s mission: families shouldn’t have to choose between affordable childcare and staying in the city they love.
The collaboration also feels like a natural extension of Cardi’s long-standing relationship with her hometown. Whether she’s speaking out politically or recording subway PSAs for the subway, she’s consistently used her platform to connect with everyday New Yorkers.
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