Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has selected Mysonne Linen, a convicted armed robber, rapper, and activist, to serve on his City Hall transition team as he prepares to take office in New York City on Jan. 1, according to public statements and social media posts from organizations involved in the announcement.
BREAKING: NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has chosen to appoint Mysonne Linen, a convicted armed robber, to be on his City Hall transition team.
You cannot make this up. pic.twitter.com/D3FKfWInpN
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 9, 2025
Mamdani, who won the November election on a progressive platform, is assembling transition committees that will advise his incoming administration.
Linen’s appointment was made public in a Nov. 26 Instagram post from Until Freedom, a New York City–based social-justice organization where Linen holds a leadership position.
The post featured Linen alongside Tamika Mallory and Angelo Pinto.
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“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 post reads.
“This is a testament to our decades of work advocating on behalf of Black and Brown communities and our expertise in gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy, and criminal justice reform. We are building something different.”
Linen, 49, has maintained a public presence as an activist in recent years, frequently posting about anti-violence initiatives, community engagement, and his work with Until Freedom.
Before his advocacy work, Linen was known for his music career.
A Bronx native, he was previously signed to Def Jam and was active in New York’s rap scene during the late 1990s.
According to past reporting, Linen was convicted of two felony robberies in the late 1990s.
In 1999, a Bronx jury found him guilty in two armed robberies of taxi drivers, as reported by the New York Daily News.
Prosecutors said Linen was part of a group that robbed cab driver Joseph Exiri on June 8, 1997, during which Exiri was struck with a beer bottle.
Prosecutors also said that on March 31, 1998, cab driver Francisco Monsanto was held at gunpoint, and cash and a ring were taken before the assailants fled.
Both taxi drivers testified during the case and identified Linen as one of the individuals involved.
The Daily News reported that Linen’s defense argued he had no motive to commit the robberies because he was earning income writing songs for artists including Lil’ Kim and Mase, and that his music was slated to appear on an album featuring LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, and Q-Tip.
Linen faced up to 25 years in prison and ultimately served seven years.
At the time, he maintained that he had been falsely accused, according to the reporting.
Until Freedom, where Linen now serves in a leadership capacity, describes itself as “the definitive non-profit organization for community activism, education, and rapid response to tragedies resulting from injustice.”
The organization’s website states, “We are not asking for a donation, we are asking for your investment; an investment in a movement worthy of the most marginalized people.”
The appeal is accompanied by payment options including Cash App and Venmo.
Mamdani’s decision to appoint Linen to transition committees focused on public safety and criminal justice drew criticism from some groups.
Jews Fight Back wrote on X, “Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani just appointed a convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy,” and called the selection “insane.”
🚨 NEW YORK, MEET YOUR NEW “CRIMINAL JUSTICE” ADVISER 🚨
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani just appointed a convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy.
Meet Mysonne Linen.
Served 7 years for armed robberies of NYC taxi drivers.
Beat one victim with a bottle.… pic.twitter.com/bg2NLHRMjS— Jews Fight Back 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@JewsFightBack) December 8, 2025
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