M.I.A. dropped from Kid Cudi's tour: "They crucified me for my words"

The collaboration between M.I.A. and Kid Cudi came to an abrupt end during the rapper's North American tour, after some comments the singer made on stage – particularly in Dallas on May 2 – sparked protests from the audience.

On stage, M.I.A. touched on political and identity themes: “I've been cancelled for various reasons, but I never thought I'd be banned for being a Black Republican voter” (a claim she later walked back online, clarifying that she votes in the UK). Introducing the track “Illygirl,” she said: “I can't sing Illygirl, even though some of you in the audience might be one,” referring to undocumented immigrants, to boos from the crowd. She then added: “I'm here illegally. Half of my team isn't here because they didn't get their visas, ok? I want you to know that. Don't listen to what the bots online say” and “We should be above politics.”

The explanations weren't enough, however, to calm the controversy. Faced with fan backlash, Kid Cudi decided to drop her from the tour: “M.I.A. is no longer part of this tour,” he announced, explaining that he had asked in advance for her to avoid controversial content and that, after the latest shows, he'd been “bombarded with messages from fans upset by her rants,” concluding: “It's really disappointing, and I don't want people on my tour making offensive comments that upset the fanbase.”

M.I.A.'s response came on X. The English rapper of Tamil origin defended the meaning of the song and her words: “I wrote Iillygal (sic) for the 2010 album 'Maya'. I introduced it by saying that I myself was 'illygal' and said that my team still hadn't gotten their visas. Then I put on a song whose lyrics say 'Fu&%# the law', which I still believe: if the law is unjust, it can go to hell. Don't twist my words: that's the devil's work.”

M.I.A. then broadened the conversation, staking her claim to her own history: “I wrote 'Borders', 'Illygal' and 'Paper Planes' long before you all thought it was cool to defend immigrants' rights. I fought those battles alone, without the support of millions of fans. I don't need this era of virtue signaling to suddenly erase my whole life.” She then added: “Jesus was an immigrant and a rebel” and “I in no way excuse those who judge, the wicked and the ignorant – we need to leave them behind in our lives and in this world.”

On the political front, the rapper tried to clarify her stance on Trump: "I can't vote in the United States, and 48% of the Latino community voted for Trump. Does that mean you hate them all? We need to come together to make this country a better place to live, like everyone wants. If you let yourself be guided by gossip, you'll never see the light." Then came her blunt conclusion, still in a mystical tone: "I was crucified for my words."

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google