Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam[1] MBE (born 18 July 1975), known by her stage name M.I.A. (/ɛm aɪ eɪ/), is an English rapper, singer, record producer, and activist. M.I.A.'s songs are marked with evocative political and philosophical commentary. Her music combines elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop, and world music with eclectic instruments and samples.

Born in London to Sri Lankan Tamil parents, M.I.A. and her family moved to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka when she was six months old. The first 11 years of her life were marked by displacement caused by the Sri Lankan Civil War, and she and her family eventually returned to London as refugees. M.I.A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist, filmmaker, and designer in West London before beginning her recording career in 2002. She was one of the first acts to come to public attention through the Internet,[2] and rose to prominence in early 2004 for her singles "Sunshowers" and "Galang".

M.I.A.'s first two albums, Arular (2005) and Kala (2007), received widespread critical acclaim for their experimentation with hip hop and electronic fusion. The single "Paper Planes" from Kala reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and sold over four million copies. Her third album Maya (2010) was preceded by the controversial single-short film "Born Free". Maya was her best-charting effort, reaching the top 10 on several charts. Her fourth studio album, Matangi (2013), included the single "Bad Girls", which won accolades at the MTV Video Music Awards. In 2015 she was featured on AT.LONG.LAST.ASAP by ASAP Rocky M.I.A. released her fifth studio album, AIM, in 2016. She scored her first U.S. Hot 100 number-one single as a featured artist on "Franchise", a 2020 single by Travis Scott with Young Thug.

M.I.A.'s accolades include two American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. She is the first person of South Asian descent to be nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award in the same year.[3] She was named one of the defining artists of the 2000s decade by Rolling Stone, and one of the 100 most influential people of 2009 by Time. Esquire ranked M.I.A. on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century. According to Billboard, she was one of the "Top 50 Dance/Electronic Artists of the 2010s".[4] M.I.A. was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for her services to music.[5]

Activism

M.I.A.'s commentary on the oppression of Sri Lankan Tamils, Palestinians and black people has drawn praise and criticism.[244] The United States has restricted her access into and out of the country during her career since the release of her debut album.[245] M.I.A. notes that the voicelessness she felt as a child dictated her role as a refugee advocate and voice lender to civilians in war during her career.

Activism

People

Mathangi