Source: Noam Galai / Getty
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been actively positioning himself as “Hip-Hop,” but a close look at his tenure thus far shows why he’s the opposite.
Ever since being elected as the first Black mayor of New York City since David Dinkins, Eric Adams’s tenure has been rife with controversy, missteps, and arrogance directed back at his constituents.
Mayor Adams has also earned a reputation as a party-goer, placing himself in the spotlight as a champion of Hip-Hop as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. One major example was the press conference where Hip-Hop icon KRS-One was present with the mayor to announce the city’s organizing block parties in each borough for Hip-Hop’s birthday back in August 2023.
Even with such pandering, when asked if Mayor Adams is “Hip-Hop,” the answer so far has been an emphatic “no.” Here are seven reasons why that case can be made.
1. Police stops have been back on the rise.
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When Mayor Adams was elected, one of his campaign promises was to reform the New York Police Department from within. But in two years, it seems as if the promise of reform has become an afterthought. That has been underscored by recent data that shows that police traffic stops of civilians have risen to over one million since Mayor Adams took office, with 90% of those arrested after those results being Black or Latino. Pedestrian stops by the NYPD have also soared, with the same disparity – only 5% of those were white.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2024/01/03: Mayor Eric Adams speaks as Police Commissioner Edward Caban listens during announcement end-of-year citywide crime statistics at One Police Plaza. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
2. The migrant crisis.
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The influx of migrants directed to New York City from Republican-governed states such as Texas has been a crisis since last year. For Mayor Adams, it has caused him to be at his best – and his worst, as his administration unsuccessfully fought to suspend the city’s right-to-shelter laws amid his comments saying that the crisis would “destroy the city”. Adams has felt the ire of residents who don’t want the migrants in the city at all and from those supporting them, being told by protesters in Mexico during a trip last fall to “go back to Jersey”. The mayor has recently said he’d approve the NYPD working with Immigrations & Customs Enforcement officials to detain and deport those migrants suspected – not convicted – of criminal activity. “There’s some people that feel that they should be able to remain here, keep doing their actions until they are eventually convicted,” he said in a press conference. “I don’t subscribe to that theory.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – AUGUST 31: New York City Mayor Eric Adams hosts rally and delivers remarks calling for expedited work authorization for asylum seekers in New York, United States on August 31, 2023. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
3. Disaster response unpreparedness.
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The effects of climate change hit New York City in two vivid moments – the wildfire smoke from Canada in June giving the air a Blade Runner feel and the remnants of a tropical storm. The mayor’s office was criticized for a lack of swift response and information updates for both situations, and it was discovered soon after that he was attending gala events on both occasions – one of which was a fundraiser for his re-election campaign.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: Fivio Foreign and Mayor Eric Adams attend Universal Hip Hop Museum 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Celebrations on November 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
4. Chasing celebrity.
While New York City has had its fair share of mayors who have enjoyed the nightlife, Mayor Adams’ adventures around town have become a constant fixture in the media. From hanging out with rappers such as Jim Jones (whom he connected with at Drake’s concert at The Apollo in Harlem) to appearing in the Supreme Team documentary by Mass Appeal and Nas and attending his son’s album release party, Mayor Adams has been in those streets quite a bit after working hours which has some questioning his commitment to the office.
5. Delivering clapbacks.
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Mayor Adams has shown himself to have a bit of a sensitive side, responding harshly to those who critique his policies. The targets for his comments range from progressive Democrats to comparing a woman and Holocaust survivor to a plantation owner at a town hall meeting concerning housing advocacy. He even infamously attacked Black Lives Matter organization activists after the 2022 subway attack in Brooklyn.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: (L-R) French Montana, Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, and Melissa Gorga attend the after party at Avra for the Tribeca Festival Opening Night & World Premiere of Netflix’s Halftime on June 08, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix)
6. Extensive trip-taking.
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Before the aforementioned trip to Latin America, Mayor Adams already made a trip to Israel in August and visited the Dominican Republic when he was Mayor-elect. He also visited Athens, Greece last December and took in games at the World Cup in Doha, Qatar. He was even called out for being in the Virgin Islands as the city braced itself for a winter storm. When asked if taxpayer dollars fueled his travel by the New York Times, he replied: “It’s on my dime. When I do my dime, I can do my time and I don’t want to hear anyone whine.”
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES – 2019/09/22: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams remarks. Hundreds of Puerto Ricans dressed in white participated on a silent procession through the streets of New York to focus the nation’s attention on this callous and craven neglect of U.S. Citizens in Puerto Rico still struggling for survival in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
7. “Backing The Blue” no matter what.
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As a former captain, it was questioned how serious would Adams be about reforming the NYPD. While he took a major step in appointing Keechant Sewell to be the force’s first Black woman Commissioner, she would step down just nine months into the role amid rumors that Adams blocked her from disciplining a top commander in the force. In addition, he has publicly sided with NYPD officers after their misconduct. He’s also touted new technological additions to the force such as drones introduced before Labor Day Weekend festivities in Brooklyn and a new patrol robot to roam the Times Square subway station.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 17: New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at the NYPD 40th Precinct on July 17, 2023 in New York City. Mayor Adams announced the appointment of First Deputy Commissioner Edward A. Caban as his new NYPD Commissioner at the precinct where his career first began making him the city’s first Latino commissioner. Adams also appointed Tania Kinsella as the new first deputy police commissioner, the first woman of color to hold the position. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
