Mysonne Linen, once convicted of armed robbery, has been appointed by New York Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani to serve on the incoming administration’s criminal legal system transition committee.
The Bronx-born rapper, who was once signed to Def Jam Recordings, served seven years in prison after his 1999 conviction for two armed robberies. He has since become a social justice activist, co-founding of the organization Until Freedom, which combats racial injustice.
Newsweek has contacted Mamdani and Linen, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Why It Matters
Linen’s appointment highlights the evolving landscape of criminal justice reform and brings to the forefront questions about redemption, public safety and who gets to influence city policies.
The selection has ignited debate in New York City about the role of formerly incarcerated individuals in shaping policy, especially on matters of criminal justice and public safety.
Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, a labor union representing correction officers, is one of the multiple people who have spoken out against the choice.
“It is both disheartening and deeply disturbing that individuals who are convicted felons and have a history of breaking the law are being given the opportunity to help shape the future of New York’s criminal justice system,” he told the New York Post.
What To Know
Linen’s organization, Until Freedom, announced his appointment, along with two more of its members, in a post on Instagram at the end of last month.
“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,” it said.
“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,” it added. “We are building something different.”
The 49-year-old was a rising rap star in the late 1990s when a Bronx jury found him guilty of being part of a group that robbed two cab drivers – on June 8, 1997, and March 31, 1998, according to the New York Daily News reporting at the time.
Linen has always insisted he was innocent, arguing that he had no reason to take part in the robberies because he was making money in music, as his breakthrough as a solo artist had taken place that summer.
While he was cleared of assault, he was found guilty of three counts of robbery, weapons possession and possession of stolen property, according to the New York Daily News.
He was sentenced to seven to fourteen years and paroled in July 2006, after serving seven years, the New York Post reported, citing the Department of Correction and Community Renewal. Newsweek has contacted the New York City Department of Correction, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Since his release, Linen has become community activist, eventually co-founding Until Freedom.
Linen’s post-prison story also includes writing children’s books and continuing music projects.
What People Are Saying
John Chell, recently retired NYPD Chief of Department, told the New York Post: “It’s just another appointed adviser that has a questionable past, which is in line with some of his other recent appointees who were anti-police and establishment. The optics and reality here point to a potential erosion of public safety in New York City.”
Eric Daugherty, a prominent pro-Trump media personality, posted on X: “NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani shocks supporters, appoints CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER to his public safety transition team. Rapper Mysonne Linen has officially made the team. New York City really asked for it this time. And they’ll get exactly what they voted for.”
What Happens Next
Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn into office on January 1. The full transition team—including Linen—will begin advising on criminal justice and public safety policy as the administration takes power. Mamdani has yet to say anything publicly about Linen.
Public scrutiny is expected to continue as the administration’s policies and appointments come under review. Advocates for reform will likely see the move as a step forward for integrating lived experience into public policy, while critics argue that public safety and the voices of law enforcement professionals are being sidelined.
Read the full article here
