Controversial rapper M.I.A. has been dismissed from Kid Cudi's Rebel Ragers Tour following a politically charged on-stage monologue. The British-born Sri Lankan artist, aged 50, was removed after delivering a rant about illegal immigrants and declaring herself a Republican during a tour stop in Dallas, as reported by Variety.
Details of the Incident
Addressing the audience, M.I.A. stated, 'I've been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter,' which was met with boos from the crowd. She then allegedly mentioned that she could not perform her 2010 song 'Illygirl'—a track about the spirit of migrants and immigrants—because 'some of you could be in the audience.'
Following the viral spread of a clip from the performance on social media, Kid Cudi issued a statement confirming M.I.A.'s removal from the tour. 'TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A. is no longer on this tour,' he wrote on Instagram. He elaborated that he had instructed his management to communicate to her team before the tour began that he did not want any offensive remarks at his shows, as he was aware of potential issues. 'After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing, and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upset my fanbase. Thank you for understanding.'
Background on M.I.A.
M.I.A., whose real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, initially gained fame with progressive politics upon her debut in 2005 with the critically acclaimed album Arular. However, in recent years, she has shifted significantly to the right. She converted to Christianity, criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, aligned with conservative commentator Candace Owens, and endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. 'Trump is going to ride America through the most challenging four years, coming, pulling out weed,' she wrote in 2024. She also expressed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously.'
In an interview last year, the born-again Christian dismissed her critics as being motivated by 'jealousy.' 'Every single person who’s ever criticised me or thrown mud at my name, they’re doing it out of jealousy or some other thing that’s making them do that,' she told The Age. She denied being a right-winger despite her support for Trump, explaining, 'I’ve been around long enough to see what the left was 20 and 30 years ago and what the left is now, and I’ve seen the left get hijacked.' She added, 'While real voices are being muted, unnecessary causes have taken up that space and the left lets that happen. Everything to me is cause and effect, and you have to appreciate free-thinkers on all sides.'
Career Highlights
M.I.A. is best known for hits like 'Bad Girls' and 'Paper Planes,' the latter amassing over one billion streams on Spotify. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and three Grammy Awards. In 2019, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to music.
