Lizzo Speaks Out After Grammy-Winning Rapper Is Mentioned in the Epstein Files — Video

Newly released federal records containing a familiar name in the music industry quickly drew online attention, fueling widespread interpretation across social media.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has published thousands of pages from its Jeffrey Epstein records archive, including documents that reference a Grammy-winning rapper in more than one context.

As excerpts from the records circulated, distinctions between those references were often blurred, prompting pop singer Lizzo to publicly address the discussion.

Inside the DOJ Files: What the Records Show

One document in the DOJ archive is a redacted email sent to Epstein on July 15, 2013, at 2:18 a.m. EDT. The email carries the subject line "Lessons From the Jay-Z Business Model -- Vulture." The only visible commentary in the message is the brief phrase "Extremely clever."

A separate document in the archive is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intake report dated July 10, 2019, at 8:20 a.m. EDT.

The report summarizes a call made to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) by an individual who identified herself as a victim of sexual abuse involving Epstein and others.

Within that report, the unidentified caller recounts alleged experiences and names several individuals as part of her narrative.

The names visible in the document include Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), Leon Black, and William Barr. The document also includes the name "Weinstein."

As the documents gained traction online, the focus then shifted to the comments Lizzo shared publicly.

Lizzo Responds With a Hypothetical Comparison

In a now-deleted TikTok video shared on X, Lizzo addressed the reaction surrounding the DOJ files and offered an analogy as a way to defend Jay-Z:

"If you stole an apple from Walmart and you were on trial for stealing an apple from Walmart, is every person in your phone an accomplice? Is every person in your phone, is every email you sent to a person, or speaking about a person or does that -- does that make a person complicit, does that make a person a bad guy? No. No. It doesn't."

Lizzo later pointed to the email reference specifically, "He referenced Jay-Z once. He was like, 'oh, we could learn from Jay-Z's business model.' Why are y’all… Where's the crime? Focus."

The conversation quickly moved beyond the video itself.

Netizens React and Push Back

Lizzo’s now-deleted TikTok prompted immediate questions after the post disappeared. Following the deletion, commenters continued the conversation in her other post on the platform.

Someone else wrote, "why you defending JayZ [sic]?" Others simply noted the moment as it happened, commenting, "She deleted the video 😂."

The discussion then spread to X. A different viewer supported the singer's stance, "Lizzo is right" and another stated, "she's correct." Others were more critical, typing, "Girl if his own wife ain’t out here defending him then why are you?"

While online debate continued around the DOJ files, the same document release also resurfaced other names.

Newly Unsealed Docs Reignite Past Ties

As previously reported, the documents include correspondence connected to Epstein's extensive contact network. Among the many names mentioned is acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, the mother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Nair is best known for directing celebrated movies. In 2009, she directed "Amelia," a biopic about aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

An Email That Raises Eyebrows

It was that very film that brought Nair into proximity with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, who has been convicted for trafficking. According to an email revealed in a recent New York Post report, Maxwell hosted a private afterparty tied to "Amelia" at her Manhattan townhouse.

The email was sent by celebrity publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein in the early hours of October 21, 2009, and its tone is casual, chatty, and unsettling in hindsight. "Just left Ghislaine's townhouse…after party for film," Siegal wrote.

That single line is where the intrigue begins…but the guest list is where it deepens. "Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there…Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair…etc. [sic]," the message continued.

Yes, that Bill Clinton, and that Jeff Bezos. Siegal went on to offer her unfiltered take on the night, adding, "Film received tepid reaction though women like it much more…Hillary Swank and [Richard] Gere are at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportswear department…very weird [sic]."

The email doesn't stop there. It continues with commentary on studio promotions, store windows, and Siegal's next social stop, all written with breezy familiarity to Epstein.

"Studio went for free party from store and windows for a month… Going to be in Wall Street 2 tomorrow…more to come. xoxo Peg [sic]," concludes the message.

The email was included in the latest document dump released Friday, reigniting scrutiny over just how embedded Epstein and Maxwell were in elite social circles, including those spanning politics, business, and entertainment.

A Political Figure Caught in the Spotlight's Glow

What makes the revelation particularly striking is its timing. Mamdani, Nair's son, is now one of the most high-profile political figures in New York, a democratic socialist mayor whose public image is far removed from the glossy, elite world described in that 2009 email.

Yet as these newly released documents show, the past has a way of resurfacing, sometimes in unexpected inboxes.

Years before his historic win, Zohran Mamdani — married to Brooklyn artist Rama Duwaji — was known as Mr. Cardamom, a young rapper who released a song called "Nani."

Yes, That's the Mayor… in a Rap Music Video Called 'Nani'

The music video for "Nani" unfolds like a short film, bursting with playful and unapologetic swagger. It opens in a modest kitchen, where famous actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, playing the archetypal grandmother, lovingly cooks for her grown son and his family, only to be confronted by him moments later at the dining table.

Portrayed by an actor, the son sternly declares that Jaffrey is not a good Nani, citing her overbearing and meddling behavior. The confrontation is short-lived.

With one sharp slap and a glare that could silence generations, Jaffrey's character takes command — quite literally — mouthing along to the lyrics as she reclaims her throne as "the best damn Nani that you ever done seen." From there, the video spirals into a fever dream of comic rebellion.

Donning a bright yellow beret, oversized sunglasses, and a killer smirk, the then-octogenarian rap matriarch storms through the streets like a South Asian Missy Elliott, slapping unruly men, demanding proper restaurant service, and waving stacks of cash with diamond-sharp attitude.

Meanwhile, Mamdani slips into a series of blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos, first as a subdued server, then as a disinterested food cart vendor, blending into the fabric of the city he would one day come to lead.

Mamdani's Colorfully Creative Past

Mamdani's flair for performance didn't begin with "Nani." Long before he took political office, he had been cultivating an artistic identity that was anything but conventional. Born in Kampala, Uganda, and raised in New York from the age of seven, Mamdani often straddled multiple cultures, a dynamic that informed his early work as a musician.

As a student at the Bronx High School of Science, he famously ran for class vice president with a tongue-in-cheek rap campaign promising freshly squeezed juices for all. Though he may not have won the election, it hinted at a persona that was already forming, one that would later take shape as Young Cardamom.

Partnering with his childhood friend Abdul Bar Hussein, also known as HAB, Mamdani co-created tracks like "Kanda (Chap Chap)," a vibrant ode to Ugandan-style chapati that featured the flatbread spinning on a turntable.

Disney Connections and Famous Bloodlines

But it was their song "#1 Spice" — a lively anthem penned for the 2016 Disney film "Queen of Katwe" — that made the biggest splash.

Directed by Mamdani's mother, the song opened with a Ugandan child selling salt and exploded into a full-blown rap over the credits, celebrating food, rhythm, and cultural pride with infectious energy.

Not only did Mamdani produce a song for the film, which centers around the real-life story of a Ugandan girl who becomes a world chess champion, but he also played an extra dubbed "Brookie student."

'A Love Letter to Desi New York'

Additionally, the politician served as the third assistant director and music supervisor. That same passion for cultural storytelling was spotlighted in Mamdani's first solo project as Mr. Cardamom — a track ("Nani") he described as "a love letter to desi New York."

Marking a new chapter in his artistic journey, the video was an ode to the city's South Asian enclaves, rich with flavor, history, and immigrant hustle. "Better drop the act that I'm young," he stated, nodding to his own growth while embracing the vibrancy of his roots.

The crew filmed scenes across neighborhoods that helped shape Mamdani's worldview, beginning in Parkchester, a residential hub in the eastern Bronx known for its Bangladeshi community, and ending at Kabab King, a no-frills, 24-hour diner in Jackson Heights that has long served as a cabby haven.