Kid Cudi has removed M.I.A. from his ongoing Rebel Ragers Tour following an on-stage rant in which the London-born rapper declared she was being “canceled for being a brown Republican voter.” The tour, which also features Big Boi and A-Trak as opening acts, began on April 28 in Phoenix. During the fourth show in Dallas on May 2, M.I.A. drew widespread boos from the audience after discussing her support for former President Donald Trump.
Incident in Dallas
According to multiple reports, M.I.A. told the crowd, “I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.” She also faced backlash when she commented about her 2010 single “Illegal,” saying, “I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience.” Clips of her remarks quickly circulated on social media, prompting a response from Kid Cudi.
Kid Cudi's Statement
In an Instagram Stories post, Cudi wrote: “TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A is no longer on this tour. I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood. 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 upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding - Rager.” The Independent has reached out to M.I.A. for comment.
Background on M.I.A.'s Political Views
M.I.A., whose real name is Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, is a British citizen and cannot vote in U.S. elections. Nevertheless, she endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 election. On X (formerly Twitter), she shared a livestream of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsing Trump, captioning it: “Trump is going to ride America through the most challenging 4 years coming pulling out weed, and Rfk will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously.” The “Paper Planes” artist has a long history of anti-establishment views, but in recent years has aligned more with right-wing rhetoric. She was critical of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic and later appeared on Alex Jones’s Infowars to promote her Ohmni clothing line, which includes tin foil hats.
