NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Taps Mysonne for Mayoral Transition Team
The mayor’s pick of the rapper-turned-activist is raising eyebrows and making headlines over Mysonne’s criminal history.
Mysonne attends Giants: Art From The Dean Collection Of Swizz Beatz And Alicia Keys at Brooklyn Museum on February 06, 2024 in New York City.
Shareif Ziyadat
NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani has hired rapper-turned-activist Mysonne Linen to serve as part of his transition team’s criminal legal system committee. Mysonne as well as several others from the social justice advocacy non-profit Until Freedom have been announced as part of Mamdani’s transition team.
“We are proud that Until Freedom leaders have been chosen to serve on Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team on committees for public safety and criminal justice, respectively,” the non-profit posted on its official Instagram page. The org has also confirmed that Tamika D. Mallory and Angelo Pinto will join Linen as part of the committee on the criminal legal system.
Linen has previously served seven years in prison on armed robbery charges.
In 1999, as he was set to drop his debut album, Linen was convicted for his alleged involvement in the armed robbery of two taxi drivers and sentenced to 7 to 14 years. He was released on parole in 2006. He maintained his innocence and dedicated himself to criminal justice activism following his release.
Following reports criticizing Linen's selection, and after The New York Post published a story about it with the headline “CRIME BOSS,” Linen’s Until Freedom responded with an Instagram post.
“They tried it with the headline. We outside doing real work,” the statement from Until Freedom reads. “Mysonne is the BOSS at Until Freedom. If you are wondering how to get your hands on our Boycott Black Murder merch - hit the link in our bio. All proceeds go back to our programs and campaigns. F**k The Post. Support the work.”
