Overview

• Just The News chief correspondent Jerry Dunleavy criticized Mamdani for repeatedly posting a Juelz Santana image from the “Dipset Anthem” video as a July 4 greeting.
• The article portrays The Diplomats as having “pro‑terrorism‑tinged” lyrics, citing 9/11 references on 2003’s Diplomatic Immunity and nicknames like “Dipset Taliban” and “Harlem’s Al Qaeda.”
• When Just The News founder John Solomon shared the piece on X, replies largely defended Mamdani, with users calling his Dipset fandom typical of New Yorkers.
• Coverage from music outlets including Complex, HotNewHipHop, and Hip‑Hop Wired amplified both the criticism and the online backlash to it.
• Mamdani’s cultural ties have been visible throughout his campaign, and he also posted that political violence has no place in the country after the fatal shooting of commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah.