A$AP Rocky says he wants to run for Congress, praises Mamdani

Rapper A$AP Rocky said he “definitely” wants to run for Congress, floating a new political ambition that goes beyond his earlier flirtation with a New York City mayoral bid, during a wide-ranging interview on “The Jason Lee Show.”

“I definitely want to run for Congress,” Mr. Mayers — whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers — told host Jason Lee, adding that he’d be fine even if lawmakers had to invent a new role to fit him, one he called “mayor of Harlem.”

The Harlem-born rapper also praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his signature rent-freeze agenda. 

“The mayor … he has this rent control thing going on, and it’s beneficial for everybody that’s in the urban communities and stuff like that,” Mr. Mayers said. “We haven’t really had a mayor or a political figure that actually gave a f—- about the people in the hood, in the ghetto, in a long time.”

The comments mark a shift in tone from Mr. Mayers, who as recently as June joked about “battling” or debating Mr. Mamdani, a onetime rapper himself, during an appearance on the “Vibe” podcast.

It’s also a departure from Mr. Mayers’ previous political tease. In a January Esquire interview, he floated a 2029 run for New York City mayor, coining the slogan “Vote for Mayor Mayers” and criticizing rising subway fares, inflation and cuts to SNAP benefits. That interview came during the first month of Mr. Mamdani’s administration.

Mr. Mayers’ comments on Mr. Mamdani’s rent policy dovetail with his own history of covering housing costs for Harlem residents. In December, he partnered with Bilt, which covered one month’s rent for every tenant in the apartment building where he lived as a teenager, tying the initiative to the rollout of his album “Don’t Be Dumb.”