With New Yorkers headed to the polls on Tuesday, November 4, Democratic Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani stopped by the Track Star podcast to test his familiarity with songs tied to the city. On host Jack Coyne’s rapid-fire quiz, Mamdani sailed through most of the lineup, showing an impressively broad knowledge of iconic New York music.

Despite the campaign trail bustle and what reporters described as a sizable lead at the time of reporting, Mamdani joked that one failed question could cost him the race — and he played along with the show’s lighthearted premise throughout.

He opened strong, instantly recognizing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ 2009 anthem, then breezed into the Strokes’ early-2000s hit and even mentioned knowing singer Julian Casablancas personally, calling him a straightforward, likable person despite the “messy” business of rock and roll.

Mamdani also referenced his own musical past: recording under the moniker Young Cardamom, he recalled making the 2016 track “#1 Spice,” a collaboration that began with lyrics penned for an AP Literature assignment and later ended up in public circulation — inspiring a local politician who borrowed it for campaign energy.

He correctly identified tracks by Jadakiss and named Ja Rule and Jada’s 2004 entrance song as the kind of walk-on music he’d choose for himself. The candidate continued to nail selections from New York’s wide musical palette, including the Beastie Boys’ raucous “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” Frank Sinatra’s definitive “New York, New York,” and Mobb Deep’s 1995 classic “Survival of the Fittest.”

Then the quiz hit a snag. When the familiar piano opening of Billy Joel’s 1976 “New York State of Mind” played, Mamdani admitted he didn’t have that tune on his go-to playlist. Coyne offered hints — pointing out the artist’s Long Island roots and piano prowess — but Mamdani ultimately acknowledged, with good humor, that he wasn’t familiar enough with the song to identify it in the moment.

Earlier that week, Mamdani made a surprise appearance at PinkPantheress’ Brooklyn show at the Kings Theater on October 24, where cameras caught him in the crowd. He used the moment to promote turnout, flashing “Our Time Has Come Vote Nov 4” across his palms as a get-out-the-vote message.

Watch Mamdani’s appearance on Track Star (Instagram reel): instagram.com/reel/DQb6WfkEXuk.

Live coverage of the New York mayoral election.

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