A British musician has been removed from a U.S. tour shortly after a video surfaced where he expressed support for the Republican Party.
The rapper MIA, born Matangi Arulpragasam, is of Sri Lankan heritage and was born in London in 1975. Besides his chart-topping tracks, he’s gained attention for his critiques of the music industry, describing it as a domain of satanism that encourages moral decay.
“No one who makes offensive comments will be allowed on my tour.”
This week, MIA was dropped from Kid Cudi’s American tour, known as the Rebel Ragers Tour, which still had over 20 performances left. His comments reportedly upset the headliner’s audience.
Cudi’s Response
“I got canceled for a lot of reasons. I never thought I’d get canceled for being a brown Republican,” MIA stated to the crowd. She also remarked about one of his songs, saying, “I can’t do ‘illegal,’ but there might be some people in the audience.”
This statement apparently triggered a backlash that led Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, to react publicly.
On his Instagram on Monday, he announced MIA’s removal from the tour. He mentioned that he had instructed his team to ensure no offensive comments would be made during the tour, as he believed everything had been communicated beforehand.
The 42-year-old expressed disappointment, citing he was “flooded with messages from fans” who were upset by MIA’s remarks.
Kid Cudi continued, “This is very disappointing to me, and my tour will not feature anyone who makes comments that offend my fan base. Thank you for your understanding.”
Contradicting Views
MIA defended her statements, suggesting they were misinterpreted and that Kid Cudi was, in her view, doing the work of evil forces.
“I wrote ‘illygal,’ which is from my 2010 album, Maya. The song begins with me declaring my illegal status, and my team noted my visa issues. Then I performed a song with the line ‘The law is unjust.’ If the law is unjust, I stand by that,” she explained.
She added, “Don’t twist my words. That’s gaslighting, and it’s the work of Satan.” Additionally, MIA asserted that Cudi produced his popular tracks before he claimed to support immigrant rights.
“I fought on my own, without the backing of millions. I don’t need this trend of virtue signaling to rewrite my life’s work. Remember, Jesus was both an immigrant and a rebel,” she concluded.
Cudi’s Background
Cudi is no stranger to controversy, especially regarding his association with Kanye West. In 2020, he distanced himself from West’s relationship with Donald Trump, saying, “We just don’t discuss it. I completely disagree.” In 2021, Cudi made a statement at a fashion award show by wearing a wedding dress, reportedly asking designer Eli Russell Linnetz to be his ‘bride’ for the event.
He has also been open about his struggles with mental health. In 2016, he checked into rehab for suicidal thoughts.
MIA remarked on Monday her belief that Jesus returned to correct the injustices found in the world today.
