50 Cent Stands Firm on His Criticism of Zohran Mamdani

In a rare intersection of politics and pop culture, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has acknowledged that he occasionally enjoys 50 Cent’s music, even as the rapper publicly critiques his economic proposals. In a recent interview, Mamdani outlined his tax plan, prompting a sharp response from 50 Cent, who later took to Instagram with pointed remarks and even proposed a financial incentive for Mamdani to leave the city.

“Who is this guy? Whose friend is he? I’m not on board with this plan,” 50 Cent wrote, offering $258,750 along with a first-class ticket out of town. “I’m also telling Trump what he said!” he added, emphasizing his disapproval.

Mamdani later appeared on The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC to clarify his position. While noting that he enjoys 50 Cent’s music, he added, “He’s a critic! I didn’t even know what my salary would be until I opened Instagram and saw something like ‘50 Cent offers Mamdani x-amount of money.’ I thought, ‘That’s quite an exact figure. Wow!’”

The Tax Proposal

Mamdani’s plan calls for a 2% additional tax on the city’s top 1% of earners—those making over $1 million annually—with the goal of funding public services and reducing economic inequality. “When you have a city like ours that is underfunding its agencies and cutting back on vital services like libraries and waste management, everyone feels the impact,” he said.

50 Cent responded again on Instagram, sharing a clip of Mamdani’s comments while reiterating his position. “I believe his intentions are good,” he wrote. “But his tax proposal will drive wealth out of the city and if he cuts police funding, there will be chaos. 🤷 @50centaction All roads lead to SHREVEPORT!”