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Re: Singer MIA denies terror support
From BBC:
British-born hip-hop artist MIA has countered accusations that she supports terrorism after US chart success put the spotlight on her political views.
Sri Lankan rapper DeLon said the singer's artwork and lyrics condoned the actions of the Tamil Tigers.
MIA is herself the daughter of a militant Tamil Tiger activist.
In a statement, the US-based artist described her music as "the voice of a civilian refugee" and said: "I don't support terrorism and never have."
DeLon's accusations came in a YouTube video, in which he rapped over MIA's single Paper Planes while showing graphic images of violence connected to the Tamil Tigers.
He claimed that, by using images of the tiger and discussing violence in her lyrics, she was promoting the aims of the Sri Lankan separatist organisation.
"You know what the tiger represents: The death of the innocent," he said.
But MIA, real name is Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, claimed her accuser was just trying to gain publicity.
"As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee," she said.
"Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion."
While still an underground star in the UK, MIA is currently experiencing success in the US.
Paper Planes, based around a sample of The Clash's Straight To Hell, has reached number 16 in the singles chart after being included in the trailer for comedy film Pineapple Express.
The song attracted controversy when it was first released at the end of last year, thanks to its use of gunshot sound effects and lyrics such as: "Some I murder, some I let go".
But the singer defended the track, saying it was a comment on how immigrants and refugees can turn to violence because "people don't really feel like [they] contribute to culture in any way".
She also attacked MTV, who censored the gunshots, saying the network had "sabotaged" the meaning of her song.
The singer had previously been criticised for the lyrics to her 2006 single Sunshowers, which allegedly expressed vague support for the Tamil Tigers.
The record told the story of a suicide bomber, and contained the line: "Like PLO, don't surrender".
MTV USA refused to play the video without a disclaimer against the lyrics.
Re: Singer MIA denies terror support
The one thing I don't like about her...the constant use of the rebel shtick. Its annoying and she has been on the scene long enough to move away from that. I realize she grew up in that culture and its a part of who she is. She deals with it quite well lyrically on Arular. However, her rise to stardom and desire for something bigger changed her lyrical style. Everything is drenched in irony now(on Kala), and the rebel thing is more of an image instead of her looking for some deep meaning behind it all.
Now that she's finally getting the stardom, she is having to start defending this image now when it should have been dealt with(and moved on from) during the Arular era.
I'm not fond of her being censored, but she should take it as a sign to move on from this. She is quite possibly the most talented person on the music scene today, and it would suck for her career to hit a brick wall because of this same crap that keeps coming up.
You don't live in a Sri Lankan war zone anymore. Your never ending visa problems have turned into a sort of satire. You even spoof this shit yourself in what is becoming your biggest hit. While you may have had some fantasy about fucking a terrorist(Bucky Done Gun), you're on the verge of marrying some trust fund baby to get dual american/canadian citizenship.
Its to the point where its obviously becoming an act to keep your "street cred" intact. We know you're aiming for mega stardom, so just go after it without putting on this act.
Like I said, this is the only negative I have towards her. She is an amazing songwriter and Kala will probably be looked back on as one of the most important records of the past twenty years, but there comes a point where enough is enough.
She's had a year to prepare for this. The album has a second wind, and instead of the record being put under a microscope which it deserves, she's dealing with this all over again.
Re: Singer MIA denies terror support
Thanks for the insight. She's obviously not a terrorist, but having controversial lyrics will obviously attract attention, and it seems quite a shame that a talented artist would bring it up for show and nothing more.
Well, I hope my comments don't get taken out of context. She did live in that environment and it shaped the person she is today. I do admire the fact she was able to break through the usual barriers that separate the first world from the third world. She got a few breaks along the way and was smart and took advantage of it.
She didn't even want to be a singer, which is shocking considering how good she is. She was pushed in that direction by a few people, most notable Justine Frischmann from Elastica. She was more into her art and was trying to get in to the film industry.
I don't know if you've heard both of her records, but there are huge differences between the two. If you haven't heard Arular, you should download it. The album deals with all of this, and in many ways is much more controversial than Kala. It didn't get as big as Kala so wasn't under as much scrutiny.
Kala is basically a diatribe against the first world's handling of third world countries and its citizens, yet she is embracing everything the first world is offering her. Its lyrically brilliant, but she's obviously not in the same mindset she was on Arular or pre arular.
She's recording her third album now, and if she isn't taking a departure from this, her career may not last too long. I'm not saying she needs to "sell out". Obviously she doesn't. However, so much has happened in her life that there has to be other things she can write about.
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