Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman struggled to name her favorite Los Angeles rappers during a Tuesday appearance on the “Higher Learning” podcast, a moment that drew laughter from the hosts and quick criticism from her political opponents weeks before Los Angeles voters choose between her and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
Asked to list her three favorite L.A. rappers, Raman first named the late Nipsey Hussle. Co-host Van Lathan responded, “Wow. Look at you, media trained.”
Raman then said she still listened to “’90s rap,” but paused while trying to continue her list. As the hosts laughed, Lathan told her, “And okay, as you search for the names, keep going.” Raman replied, “I’m just shy.”
She eventually added Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur. Lathan summarized her answer as “Nip, Pac, Snoop.” Raman said the music was what she listened to alone in her car, calling it “the songs of my youth.”
Lisa Cusack, president of the Don’t L.A. My Burbank PAC, said the exchange undercut Raman’s attempts to present herself as deeply tied to Los Angeles culture.
“Interesting that Raman called illegal street vendors an ‘indispensable part’ of L.A.’s culture, but can’t name some of the city’s most famous rappers. Feels like someone’s giving her a script, because she’s not from L.A. and doesn’t actually know what the city’s about,” Cusack said.
Raman was born in India and came to the United States at age six. She later settled in Los Angeles and now lives in Silver Lake, according to The Los Angeles Times. She was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020 and represents the city’s 4th district, which includes Hollywood, Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys.
Los Angeles County Republican Party Chairwoman Roxanne Hoge used the moment to question Raman’s grasp of the city’s economy.
“I’d rather Raman be able to name her top three thriving L.A. businesses,” Hoge said in a statement. “She can’t.”
The podcast appearance came as Raman and Bass head toward the Nov. 3 runoff. Raman advanced from the June primary, narrowly securing the second runoff spot behind Bass after passing Republican candidate and TV personality Spencer Pratt during an extended vote count, despite Pratt leading on election night.
Raman has built much of her campaign around frustration with City Hall’s handling of homelessness, basic city services and the entertainment industry.
“I came into this race because I feel passionately about the future of Los Angeles and I feel frustration about the current state of the city. And I think that a third of voters is out there feeling those same things,” Raman said.
Raman has also faced questions during a recent mayoral debate over her campaign’s decision to hire a consulting firm that previously worked with former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found Raman leading Bass 39% to 28% among likely Los Angeles voters, with 33% undecided. The online survey of 2,150 likely voters was conducted Sept. 15-20 and carried a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
Bass’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the podcast exchange.
