![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-03-134516.jpg\" "\\"Cardi")
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Cardi B backstage during a recent tour stop to ask the Bronx-born rapper to help judge the city\u2019s 2-K jingle competition.<\/p>\n
Photo by NYCMayor\/X<\/p>\n
New York City\u2019s push to launch free child care for two-year-olds is getting a celebrity boost from Cardi B \u2014 and a very 2026 caveat from City Hall.\n<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> and the Bronx-born rapper announced on Friday that applications for the city\u2019s new 2-K program will open June 2 and run through June 26. But before that happens, the administration wants New Yorkers to help get the word out with an official jingle.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s new contest<\/a> invites residents to submit original 15- or 30-second songs encouraging families to apply for 2-K. The winning entry will become the program\u2019s official theme and air on the radio.<\/p>\n Then comes the fine print: no AI.\n<\/p>\n According to the contest rules, all music and lyrics must be original and cannot include copyrighted, trademarked, or AI-generated material. amNewYork is awaiting a response to an inquiry about City Hall\u2019s plans to filter out rule breakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Entrants must be at least 18 years old and live in NYC. Every jingle must include the 2-K registration website (myschools.nyc) and be family-friendly. Bilingual entries \u2014 especially in Spanish \u2014 are also being encouraged.<\/p>\n Judging will happen in three stages. First, the mayor\u2019s office staff will screen entries for rule compliance. Then Cardi B, along with what the city describes as \u201ca panel of special guest judges, including some familiar voices from top hits on the radio,\u201d will select five finalists before New Yorkers vote for the winner.<\/p>\n The rules say a winner will be selected by May 18, and the potential winner will be contacted on or about June 1.\n<\/p>\n There\u2019s no cash prize attached, just clout. Under the terms of the contest<\/a>, contestants would still own their work, but by entering, they grant the city permanent rights to use, edit, and distribute their jingle in any medium, whether or not it wins. Entrants also agree that the city can use their name, likeness, and image in connection with the contest and related promotion.<\/p>\n \u2018I can get \u2019em both. I don\u2019t wanna choose\u2019<\/p>\n The contest itself is part of a broader promotional effort around 2-K, which the administration has framed as a step toward universal, free child care for two-year-olds. Families will be able to apply for seats in school districts 6, 10, 18, 23, and 27, with offers expected in August, but Staten Island is not included.<\/p>\n The program is set to launch this fall with 2,000 free seats and expand to universal access within four years. Officials say it will be open to families regardless of ZIP code, income, or immigration status, though the initial rollout is limited to five districts.<\/p>\n