New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Mysonne Linen, a rapper and community activist with a past conviction for armed robbery, to his transition team overseeing public safety and criminal justice. Linen, who served seven years in prison for two felony robberies in the late 1990s, is now a leader at the social-justice group Until Freedom and is known for his advocacy against gun violence and for criminal justice reform. The appointment has sparked controversy, with critics questioning the decision to include someone with a violent criminal history in shaping the city's crime and policing policies. Supporters argue that Linen's lived experience and activism make him uniquely qualified to contribute to public safety discussions as Mamdani assembles his progressive administration.