M.I.A. will be missing in action from the rest of the Rebel Ragers Tour, after headliner Kid Cudi gave her the boot for making controversial comments.
The British singer and rapper upset fans over the weekend when she went on a political rant about conservatives and immigrants at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas.
“I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter,” M.I.A. said at a May 2 tour stop, according to Variety.
Viral videos posted on social media showed her complaining about not being allowed to perform her single “Illygirl” (also known as “Illygal” and “Illegal”).
“I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience,” she said, suggesting some concert attendees were undocumented.
Once clips of her comments spread, Kid Cudi dropped the “Paper Planes” artist from the lineup.
The Grammy-winning rapper, born Scott Mescudi, announced the news Monday in a statement released via an Instagram Story.
“M.I.A is no longer on this tour,” the statement read. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Kid Cudi is known for his hit singles, including “Day ’N’ Nite” and “Mr. Rager.” The Cleveland, Ohio native announced his Rebel Ragers Tour in January and said it would feature special guests M.I.A., Big Boi, and A-Trak.
M.I.A., born Mathangi Arulpragasam, is no stranger to controversy. She was raised in London to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, and has been vocal about the civil war in Sri Lanka. According to reporting by The Guardian, she’s been accused of supporting “terrorists” in the conflict.
The singer also faced scrutiny for suggesting coronavirus was caused by 5G network lines, and said she would rather “choose death” than get the COVID-19 vaccine.
In 2024, the singer took aim at the Biden administration, saying her visa application to enter the U.S. had been delayed because of her past comments. “BIDEN WON’T LET ME SEE MY CHILD,” she wrote in all caps. “I HAVE TO WAIT TILL A REPUBLICAN WINS. WOW.”
(The post below contains video of M.I.A. commenting about her song “Illegal.”)
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