Controversial rapper M.I.A. repeatedly invoked religion as she tangled with social media users – saying she was ‘crucified for words’ – after she was let go from Kid Cudi’s Rebel Ragers Tour Monday.
The British-born Sri Lankan star, 50, was fired from the musical trek after bringing up her right-leaning politics while on stage Saturday in a move that irritated fans in Dallas.
‘I am secure in Christ and I know how Satan operates,’ M.I.A. said via X on Monday after she was let go. ‘Truth seekers build churches inside themselves. GLORY TO GOD.’
After voicing sentiments about illegal immigrants and being a Republican, M.I.A. told a booing Texas crowd at the Dos Equis Pavilion, ‘I’ve been canceled for many reasons – I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.’
The artist, whose real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, then allegedly said that she couldn’t perform her 2010 song ‘Illygirl’, Variety reported, as it’s about the spirit of migrants and immigrants, because ‘some of you could be in the audience.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to M.I.A. and her representatives for further comment on the story.
Controversial rapper M.I.A. has been fired from Kid Cudi’s Rebel Ragers Tour following a politically-charged monologue on stage
The British-born Sri Lankan star, 50, claimed she had been ‘crucified for words’ via X
Shortly after a clip of the performance went viral on social media, Cudi issued a statement confirming that M.I.A. had been dropped from the rest of the tour, Variety reported.
‘TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A. is no longer on this tour,’ he wrote on Instagram.
When a user appeared to condemn the Give Me All Your Luvin’ performer’s support for President Donald Trump on Monday, M.I.A. pointed out statistics from the November U.S. 2024 election to say she was speaking for a large group of voters.
‘Don’t be an agent of division, I can’t vote in the U.S., and 48% of Latin community voted Trump,’ she said. ‘So are you going to hate them all?’
The Bad Girls artist continued, ‘We must unite to make this country, that everyone wants to live in a better place. If you are [easily] LED by rumour then you don’t see the light for yourself. I pray for your awakening.’
Kid Cudi in his statement Monday said that he did not want M.I.A. turning things political on the tour trail, and made this clear to her team prior to hitting the road.
‘I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started the tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows,’ Kid Cudi said, ‘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 upset my fanbase. Thank you for understanding.’
M.I.A. pointed out statistics from the November 2024 U.S. election to say she was speaking for a large group of voters
M.I.A. went back and forth with people she dubbed haters after she was ousted from Kid Cudi’s tour
The Bad Girls artist repeatedly cited religion in her social media responses
M.I.A. was one of the opening acts for the 33-date tour, along with Big Boi, who is still on the schedule.
She initially replied in a fiery statement on X, claiming that her words had been twisted before calling it ‘the work of Satan.’
She also defended immigrants and said that her comments about her song ‘Illygirl’ were in reference to members of her team and their visas, and not about those in the audience.
The Paper Planes hitmaker was known for her progressive politics when she first burst onto the music scene in 2005 with her critically-acclaimed debut Arular.
However, the singer has made a hard pivot to the right in recent years.
In addition to converting to Christianity, M.I.A. also criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, aligned herself with conservative firebrand Candace Owens, and endorsed President Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential election.
‘Trump is going to ride America through the most challenging four years, coming, pulling out weed (sic),’ she wrote in 2024.
She also said that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 presidential candidate who was ultimately appointed Trump’s health secretary, ‘will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously.’
M.I.A. was one of the opening acts for Cudi’s 33-date tour, along with Outkast’s Big Boi
M.I.A. responded to the backlash in a fiery statement on X
Cudi announced that he’d fired M.I.A. in a statement on Instagram
The born-again Christian caused controversy when she endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election
In an interview last year, the born-again Christian artist accused her critics of ‘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 also shot down claims that she’s a right-winger, despite vocally supporting Trump.
‘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 said. ‘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. Everyone’s got the same battle at this point, and it’s not the time to point fingers and drag each other over little things.’
M.I.A. is best known for her hits Bad Girls and Paper Planes, the latter of which has over one billion streams on Spotify. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and three Grammy Awards.
In 2019, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to music.
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