From rapper to New York mayor: Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani will become New York City's next mayor after he swept to victory in a decisive win.

His rise to political stardom was complete late on Tuesday night when he was projected to have won the mayoral contest, which will see him sworn in to replace Eric Adams in January. In a fiery acceptance speech, Mr Mamdani, the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York, said: "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him." The 34-year-old is the youngest person in a century to be elected as the city's mayor.

So how did he get here, what does he stand for, and why has he proved a divisive figure? From rapper to mayor Mr Mamdani, a state lawmaker, was relatively unknown when he announced his run in October last year. His win in the summer in the Democratic mayoral primary against then favourite Andrew Cuomo - a former New York governor making a political comeback from a sexual harassment scandal - shocked the nation.

He was elected to the State Assembly in 2020, representing a district in Queens. His election made him the first South Asian man, first Ugandan and third Muslim to serve in the assembly.

Before that he was on the city's rapping scene, going by Young Cardamom and later as Mr Cardamom. He made a song called #1 Spice with the artist HAB for the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, which was directed by his mother Mira Nair, an award-winning filmmaker, while another song, Nani - a tribute to his grandmother - was released in 2019.

Mr Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and was raised there and briefly in South Africa until he was seven, when his family moved to New York. He is the son of filmmaker mother Mira Nair, best known for 2001 comedy/drama Monsoon Wedding, and Mahmood Mamdani, an anthropology professor at Columbia University.

He went to a public school and attended the Bronx High School of Science before receiving a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the school's first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. He became naturalised as an American citizen in 2018, and worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counsellor.

The politician says that the job, which saw him help low-income homeowners of colour across Queens fight off eviction and stay in their homes, inspired him to run for office. Mr Trump has alleged without evidence that Mr Mamdani is in the US "illegally.