Reason: A song intro that got the crowd excited. All statements at a glance.
Kid Cudi has dropped MIA from his ongoing Rebel Ragers Tour. This was preceded by a controversial performance by the musician on May 2nd in Dallas, where she was booed by the audience during a monologue.
What exactly happened
During their set at the Dos Equis Pavilion, MIA caused discontent among the crowd with political statements. Among other things, she stated: “I was canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.” The British-Sri Lankan artist also said: “I can do ‘Illygirl’ [den Song] not playing, even though some of you in the audience are doing just that [illegal] could be.”
The scene quickly spread across social media and platforms such as Reddit, sparking widespread debate.
Here are some excerpts from the gig:
Kid Cudi responds: “I will not tolerate anyone on my tour who annoys my audience”
On May 4th, Kid Cudi announced via Instagram story that MIA was no longer part of the tour. The US rapper’s statement translates as: “TOUR UPDATE: MIA is no longer part of this tour. I told my management before the tour started that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows because I already knew what was going on and I was assured that everything was understood. After the last few shows, I was flooded with messages from fans upset by her tirades. This is very disappointing to me and I will not tolerate anyone being offensive on my tour “Makes statements and upsets my fan base. Thank you for your understanding.”
MIA counters with a detailed statement
Just a few hours later, MIA responded on Platform X with a detailed post. In it, she clarified: “I wrote ‘Illygal’ for the MAYA album, a song from 2010. I started that intro by saying I was ‘Illygal’ and said that my team hasn’t gotten visas yet. Then I played a song whose lyrics say ‘F** the law,’ and that’s what I continue to believe – if a law is unjust, then f*** it. Don’t twist my words. That’s the work of Satan.”
She continued: “I wrote ‘Borders’ and ‘Illygal’ and ‘Paper Planes’ before you thought immigrant rights were cool. I fought these battles alone, without millions of fans behind me. I don’t need this era of moral self-expression suddenly trying to erase my entire life.”
She also added: “Jesus was an immigrant and a rebel. I have no excuse for the judgmental, the evil and the ignorant, because these are spirits that we must overcome. Jesus returns to rule the world righteously because there is injustice. I am proud of those who fight for it every day. God bless you.”
Your statement in its entirety:
Previous controversies surrounding MIA
MIA has been a polarizing figure in pop culture for years. During the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012, she gave the middle finger in front of an audience of millions, which led to a lawsuit from the National Football League. In the years that followed, she also made headlines for interviews and social media posts in which, among other things, she expressed doubts about vaccines and was critical of established scientific opinions.
Kid Cudi and the “Rebel Ragers Tour”
Kid Cudi’s “Rebel Ragers Tour” kicked off in Phoenix on April 28th and will tour around 30 cities in North America. Big Boi is still there, while acts like A-Trak, Me N Ü and Dot Da Genius appear as rotating support acts.
There are currently no dates announced in Germany or Europe – the tour is currently limited exclusively to North America.
