She's never been afraid to court controversy through her music or performances.
And
M.I.A has hit out at R&B superstar Beyoncé over her Black Lives
Matter protest during the star's cameo appearance at this year's Super
Bowl half-time show, in an interview with ES Magazine.
The
40-year-old musician claimed that Beyoncé and prominent rapper Kendrick
Lamar are short-sighted when it comes to campaigning for racial
equality.
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Candid: M.I.A has hit out at R&B
superstar Beyoncé over her Black Lives Matter protest during the star's
cameo appearance at this year's Super Bowl half-time show
She
explained: 'It's interesting that in America the problem you're allowed
to talk about is Black Lives Matter. It's not a new thing to me – it's
what Lauryn Hill was saying in the 1990s, or Public Enemy in the 1980s.
'Is
Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian
Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That's a more interesting
question.
'And
you cannot ask it on a song that's on Apple, you cannot ask it on an
American TV programme, you cannot create a tag on Twitter, Michelle
Obama isn't going to hump you back.'
Controversial: Beyoncé made headlines
in February when she joined Coldplay for their Super-Bowl halftime show
and debuted her new single 'Formation'
Beyoncé
made headlines in February when she joined Coldplay for their
Super-Bowl halftime show and debuted her new single 'Formation'.
The
performance featured Beyoncé and her backing dancers dressed as
controversial activist group The Black Panthers - which rose to
prominence in the 60s and 70s before dissolving in 1982 - and giving
raises fists salutes similar to the black power salute given by Tommie
Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City in
support of the #BlackLivesMatter activist movement.
Formation
contains lyrics referencing the mass protests across the US over police
killings of unarmed young black men - which the #BlackLivesMatter
campaign was set up to support - and the official response to 2005's
Hurricane Katrina natural disaster in New Orleans.
M.I.A
has herself been involved in a controversial Super Bowl moment when she
appeared as a guest during Madonna's performance in 2012.
As
the pair performed Madonna's Give Me All Your Luvin M.I.A raised her
middle finger to the television cameras stunning the 11 million strong
global audience.
Shocking: The brunette beauty, whose
real name is Maya Arulpragasam, admitted: 'I never thought I would be
old enough to drive or have a house or raise a child'
The
Sri-Lankan born star has overcome a difficult childhood, which saw her
flee the war-torn country of her birth, to become a happily married
chart-topping singer with a seven-year-old son.
And the star has revealed she's surprised she is alive to enjoy the fame, having always thought she wouldn't live past 25.
The
brunette beauty, whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam, added: 'I feel
like I should have died a long time ago. I'm surprised I'm still alive,
to be honest. I came from war.
'When I was growing up I didn't really think I'd live beyond about 25.'
She
added: 'I never thought I would be old enough to drive or have a house
or raise a child. Having to do it is really difficult.'
The
Bring The Noize hitmaker showed off her toned figure in a leather
jacket over a pink bra and rocked yellow platform boots in one image for
the striking photoshoot.
M.I.A,
who shares her son Ikhyd Edgar Arular Bronfman with billionaire
Benjamin Bronfman, spoke about the struggles of raising a child in the
UK.
Mother: M.I.A, who shares a son Ikhyd
Edgar Arular Bronfman with billionaire Benjamin Bronfman, spoke about
the struggles of raising a child in the UK
She
said: 'I'm not very good at being a mother. I didn't spend my childhood
here so everything is new to me: the school system, the ABC, phonics. I
don't know what books to buy him.'
'When
my kid was two he was saying things like: "Oh my God, you're so in my
personal space right now!" That's when it was time to leave.
The rapper added jokingly: 'Personal space! I slept in the same room as ten other people until I was ten.'
Out now: The full interview appears in this week's issue of ES Magazine, out Thursday April 21, 2016
The
singer, who dated American DJ Diplo for five years after allegedly
approaching him at Fabric nightclub in London, opened up about how her
private relationships overshadowed her work.
'In the beginning everyone was like: "Oh, Diplo did all your work,"' she said.
'Then
it was like: "You had a baby with a billionaire, that undoes everything
you lived before." I wish I just said, "F*** you."'
The recording artist even opened up on following Kanye West's advice to her on love.
'He said [10 years ago]: "Whatever you do, don't date people, don't get pregnant, don't fall in love. Love is like cancer."
'At the time, I thought he was so wrong. I said: "It's terrible you think like that!" But now I think he was right.'
M.I.A, who came to London in the 1980s when 'there were loads of Sri Lankans' said she was frustrated when she first arrived.
'Me and my sisters were trying to be cool London teenagers but we'd just be surrounded by Tamil refugees.
'But after that, it was Somalians, Bosnians, now it's very Eastern European. It comes in waves.'
The
singer, who admitted she has a reputation for being difficult and
doesn't get invited to the BRITs, claimed people were 'scared' of her.
She admitted: 'I hardly ever get approached by corporations or brands. I have this massive 'No' sign on my face.'
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