Brooklyn Rapper Paperboy Prince Enters Race For NYC Mayor

BROOKLYN, NY — The race to replace Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2021 is about to get a lot more musical.

Brooklyn rapper and former congressional candidate Paperboy Love Prince has launched a campaign for mayor of New York City, bringing a small but loyal internet-fame following to the crowded ticket.

Prince, who first became known for viral "Yang Gang" videos about presidential candidate Andrew Yang, said the idea to run again was largely inspired by excitement surrounding the campaign against U.S. Rep. Nydia Valazquez, who ultimately beat out the first-time candidate in June's Democratic primary.

"I constantly got people telling me in other parts of the city, 'I wish you were in my district so I could vote for you,'" Prince told Patch on Tuesday. "A lot of people’s frustration with current representation and current candidates is that they feel like they’re not being heard...When you vote for the same politicians, the same ideas, you get the same results. My goal is to bring things into the future —into a beautiful future."

Prince, who is non-binary, registered with the city's Campaign Finance Board late last week, but says their official campaign announcement will come in the form of a "Paperboy for Mayor" album in the next few weeks.

The album will lay out the campaign's policy ideas in a way Prince hopes — similar to their existing hits about canceling rent and universal basic income — will stick in voters' minds.

"The same way you listen to Beyonce and you listen to The Beatles, you can listen to our policy platforms," they said.

The campaign will also include social media polls and, later, an online tool where followers can vote on everything from what issues they want Prince to focus on to what they should wear on the campaign trail.

As it was in their congressional campaign, though, the primary platform of the mayoral bid will be Prince's legal middle name: Love.

"The city needs love more than ever — people are hurting right now," Prince said, pointing to the coronavirus pandemic and spikes in homelessness and depression. "That’s where we come in, to spread love to the people and to provide creative solutions. This is a battle for the future."

Prince, who lives in Bed-Stuy, worked as a web designer before entering the political world last year. They were previously an intern on Capitol Hill and in the Supreme Court and have a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.

The rapper joins a crowded race including high-profile candidates like City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, former de Blasio aide Maya Wiley and City Council Member Carlos Menchaca in the race for mayor.

But Prince says that list doesn't diminish their confidence in the campaign.

"I think that Paperboy Prince is a top choice for mayor — when people see all of the things we're fighting for, it'll be very clear why so many New Yorkers are excited to vote for this campaign," Prince said.

Part of that confidence comes from nearly 20 percent of voters who turned out for Prince in the Democratic primary against Velazquez, who has been in Congress since 1992. Prince said those numbers came despite a huge spending gap between the two campaigns and the choice not to ask for money.

"We did that in spite of people thinking we weren't a serious choice," Prince said. "That's without me ever doing one fundraising call — I didn't even ask my mom or my dad."

Prince also joins a list of candidates who would make history should they be elected, though they said that isn't the primary inspiration for the campaign.

"Representation is great, [but] I’m most enthused about being able to represent the people," they said. "For me, this isn’t about being Black, this isn’t about being non-binary, this is about me helping the people of New York."