Mayor Mamdani calls to keep New York the home of hip-hop — Rolling Stone
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in the United States that the city must remain the home of hip-hop and that artists working here should be able to live here. In a video released by the mayor's office, Mamdani discussed this with rapper Nas at Queensbridge Park near the Queensbridge Projects housing complex, where the musician grew up, Rolling Stone reports.
The city's affordability for artists
Mamdani, who calls himself a hip-hop fan and previously performed under the pseudonym Young Cardamom, said New York should not be limited to its status as the birthplace of this music genre. According to him, the city must remain its home.
The mayor also drew attention to the rising cost of living in New York. He said that people who created the city's cultural environment are now being pushed out because of high costs. In his view, if art becomes a luxury, future generations will be deprived of the opportunities that creativity provides.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Conversation with Nas and the hip-hop school
Nas said that hip-hop tells the truth about the city — what it looks, sounds, and feels like. According to the rapper, the genre emerged as the voice of people who demanded change and sought to tell the world about their own experiences.
In the short film, Mamdani also marked the first day of school with students at the Bronx School of Hip Hop in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx. The institution teaches ninth through twelfth grade students in School District 9 and uses hip-hop culture as the foundation of its educational program.
Students study emceeing, DJing, graffiti, breaking, and self-knowledge, combining this with academic subjects and real-world experience. The curriculum also includes audio production, digital media, and financial literacy. School principal Jason Reyes said that the institution's support from the mayor's office and the office of the education chancellor means a great deal to him.
