Cardi B stepped into a new role on Friday when she partnered with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to launch a citywide jingle competition aimed at promoting the city’s groundbreaking 2-K program.
The initiative offers free childcare for two-year-olds, and the Bronx rapper’s involvement signals how seriously the administration is taking the push to get families enrolled.
According to Billboard, the contest invites New Yorkers to submit original 15- and 30-second tunes that’ll encourage families to apply for the program, with Cardi helping select finalists before the city votes on the winner.
The timing makes sense for someone who’s been vocal about supporting progressive policies in her hometown.
Cardi’s got four kids of her own, and she knows firsthand how expensive and complicated childcare can be for working parents.
The mayor didn’t waste time making his pitch either; he met up with the rapper and asked her directly about free childcare.
Her response was immediate and genuine: “I feel like free childcare is very important. Sometimes us women we can’t really go forward because we don’t have nobody to help us take care of our kids.”
That’s the kind of authenticity that’ll resonate with New Yorkers considering the program.
The logistics are straightforward for anyone interested in submitting.
New Yorkers have until April 17 to upload their jingles to nyc.gov/jingle, and the winning song will become the official theme for the 2-K program and get played on the radio.
Cardi will narrow the submissions to five finalists, and then the public will vote to determine the winner.
Mayor Mamdani even quoted her “Bodak Yellow” in his statement, referencing the track that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks back in 2017.
“As Cardi B says: ‘I can get ’em both. I don’t wanna choose,'” he said, connecting the lyric to families who shouldn’t have to choose between affordable care and staying in New York.
The 2-K program itself is rolling out in phases, with 2,000 seats available this fall across four neighborhoods: Fordham in the Bronx, Washington Heights in Manhattan, Southeast Queens, and Canarsie in Brooklyn.
Enrollment opens June 2 and closes June 26, giving families a window to secure spots for their toddlers.
This isn’t Cardi’s first time putting her platform behind NYC initiatives either.