Ever since left-wing politician Zohran Mamdani crushed the Democratic primaries for New York’s mayoral election, my feed has been filled with clips of his short-lived rap career – and, as always, America is divided. One sympathetic commenter proclaimed, “Finally, a politician with some swagger,” while seemingly right-wing video edits lambast a ‘failed rapper’ for turning his hand to politics. 

Regardless, as far as politicians’ past lives go, let’s face it: Mamdani’s crunk-inspired ode to his grandma’s cooking is pretty harmless. His music goes far deeper than just a publicity stunt to aid his political career – Mamdani has previously spoken about hustling home-recorded rap CDs as a teenager in his birthplace of Kampala, Uganda, and he has also since admitted that he probably wasn’t very good. So, while his appearance on the soundtrack for Kampala-based Disney feature Queen of Katwe – directed by Mamdani’s own mother, Mira Nair – does stink of nepotism, it isn’t totally underpinned by privilege. Mamdani has a genuine connection to both the culture and the subject matter, and, to some extent, he does seem to have suffered for his ‘art’. 

Anyways, Mamdani is by no means the first public figure with a penchant for bars. All over the world, there are cases of politicians (and, often, their spoilt offspring) attempting to cross into the world of rap, and (spoilers) it’s usually a flagrant abuse of wealth at best – at worst, outright propaganda. But, still, hip-hop’s foundations as a grassroots social force, a voice for the voiceless, remain, and there have been cases where politicians have used rap to speak truth to power at both the highest and lowest echelons of society.

Below, we round up five times politics and rap collided – loosely ranked from autocratic to democratic. (Dawn Butler’s remix of So Solid Crew’s “21 Seconds” doesn’t count).

TURKMENISTAN PRESIDENT GURBANGULY BERDIMUHAMEDOW

When a President rules for 16 years with no meaningful opposition, it’s usually not a good sign. Under Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow’s reign, Turkmenistan consistently ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for civil rights and press freedom. He pursued a number of bizarre and autocratic policies, including banning opera and all non-white cars in the Turkmen capital, but perhaps his strangest decision was to record a rap song with his grandson.

The track, titled “Sportly Turkmenistan”, espouses the beauty of the Turkmen countryside, while also encouraging listeners to… exercise more? As authoritarian as Berdimuhamedow’s legacy is, it’s hard not to see the humour in his clearly staged role as DJ, vocalist and keyboard player to his grandson’s limp rap vocals. Keys aren’t even present throughout most of the track, but Berdimuhamedow can be seen tapping away anyway. The former Turkmen dictator clearly enjoyed the experience, though, because, two years later, the duo reunited for a sequel – this time about their love of horses.

THE ‘PRINCE OF GEORGIA’, BERA 

A close second for most autocratic figure to release a rap song is Bera Ivanishvili (stylised as BERA), son of Georgia’s richest man, chairman of the ruling party, Georgia Dream, and de facto ruler, Bidzina Ivanishvili. The senior Ivanishvili made his billions during the fall of the USSR, founding the only private company allowed in the Soviet Union during the 80s, and later importing Western-manufactured goods into the Eastern Bloc. Today, his wealth stands at one-third of the entire Georgian GDP, and his party faces regular scrutiny for their repressive policies and servile relationship to Putin’s Russia. Earlier this year, the party faced nationwide protests for their anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Unlike blissful keyboardist Berdimuhamedow, however, BERA’s music isn’t laughably bad – but his use of his father’s political power certainly raises eyebrows. BERA claims to have come up with the name of ruling party Georgia Dream (he was 17 when they came to power in 2012), which he has since bestowed on his self-founded record label and recording studio. His family’s immense wealth allowed him to pursue sessions with Lady Gaga producer Rob Fulsari, and even a mentorship under the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean.

In 2021, however, phone records leaked implicating high-level Georgian government officials in tracking and intimidating people who were dismissive of BERA’s music online. While BERA and Bidzina Ivanishvili have both dismissed the allegations as false, and Georgia’s political landscape is too complex and fraught to sum up here, it remains abundantly clear that BERA would not have had the same musical opportunities if he wasn’t literally the Prince of Georgia (and a billionaire). 

BELIZEAN OPPOSITION LEADER, SHYNE

Born in Belize City before relocating to New York as a child, Shyne’s career is one of the most unlikely tales in the history of hip-hop. He was signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records in the late 90s, releasing hip hop classics “Bad Boyz”, “Bonnie & Shyne”, and even appearing on Lil Wayne’s seminal The Carter IV album. 

But Shyne’s career took a turn for the worse when, in 1999, he attended a nightclub with label boss Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. There, a confrontation broke out between Combs and another club patron, leading both Combs and Shyne to fire shots in the crowded venue and injure three bystanders. Both faced trial for the incident, but Combs was acquitted on all counts, while Shyne was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. Shyne claims that he was made to take the fall for the crime and has since called Combs “the person who destroyed my life”. 

After serving nine years, Shyne was deported to Belize, where he was soon named Music and Goodwill Ambassador for the country. Over the years, Shyne pursued a career in politics in Belize. In 2020, he was elected representative of Belize City’s Mesopotamia constituency and was subsequently appointed leader of the centre-right Belize United Democratic Party. He is currently campaigning to become the country’s next Prime Minister in this year’s general election, standing for increased police presence and the introduction of student loans to improve access to higher education.

SON OF CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER, XAVIER TRUDEAU

As soon as 17-year-old Xavier Trudeau, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, teased his debut R&B-trap track “Til the Night Done” earlier this year, the internet was understandably divided. “Did my tax dollars pay for this?” one commented, “This guy has never worked a day in his life,” said another. Meanwhile, others jumped to defend a kid just “trying to live his life.” 

At the end of the day, though, the track isn’t bad at all – in fact, it’s pretty good; sort of like what would happen if the Make-A-Wish Foundation were to fulfil a Gen Z Fortnite obsessive’s dream of being Travis Scott for a day. However, when this was funded less by charity and more by his father’s political clout – lest we forget, Trudeau senior was also once photographed in blackface – Xav’s entry into the once-radically class-conscious hip-hop space is sure to raise a few eyebrows. 

BURMESE MARTYR, ZAYAR THAW 

Now, I mentioned Burmese hip hop pioneer and politician Zayar Thaw in our list of rappers that ‘the government’ didn’t want you to listen to, but his story is so extraordinary that, I believe, it should never be forgotten. Going from the leading voice of Myanmar’s first ever rap group Nitric Acid, to being elected alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in the country’s first openly-contested national elections since 1990, and, finally, to being tragically executed by 2021’s military junta, Thaw’s life is a testament to hip-hop’s profound ability to speak truth to power, as well as the extreme consequences this can have.

Since the year 2000, Thaw had supported the Burmese people’s struggle for democracy as a rapper, politician and guerrilla activist, and his death marked the advent of yet another dark period in Myanmar’s history. Since 2021, upwards of 50,000 people have been killed by the ruling Tatmadaw military party, and 80-year-old democratically elected head of government Suu Kyi is currently serving 27 years in prison on trumped-up corruption charges.