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Weekly Audio Tour

February 6, 2008

Artist of the week: M.I.A.
 by Rhea Boyd

AudioTour.jpg    M.I.A. is a stage name for Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, a British songwriter. Her music is considered to be a combination of many genres including indie, electro, hip-hop and dancehall.

    Although female rappers are not considered popular, the vocals in her song are unlike mainstream artists. This distinctive voice is aggressive and laced with a British (and a slight hint of Sri Lankan) accent which adds to the intriguing nature of her melodies.

    M.I.A. creates music consisting of deep lyrics and hard beats, which are both entirely unique and impressively original. The lyrics surround political issues and her personal views on the world. Many of the lyrics focus on war, famine, poverty, disease, poor political leaders, etc. They are powerful and she is unafraid to express herself through her songs. One of her biggest hits, Paper Planes, is based on her issues with the United States, “If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name,” she raps. The lyrics could be a message to the United States about how she should be allowed into the country (she isn’t because of her father’s alleged ties with supposed terrorist groups). The beats in her tunes are consistently catchy and interesting. Listeners are greeted with the sound of solid drums and several electronically enhanced sound effects. In Paper Planes, the chorus involves the sound of a gun being cocked and shot, which was considered risky and controversial. “It was clear to me that I wasn’t getting anywhere whether I followed the rules or not, so I thought I might as well release the song I want to release,” she told Radar magazine.

    Arulpragasam, now almost thirty-one, spent most of her youth in London, where she discovered her love for western rap and hip-hop. Artists such as Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A., and Roxanne Shante were influential to her musical career later in her life. She attended Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design where she studied fine art, film and video. She was nominated for the Alternative Turner Prize for her art exhibit in 2001 which focused on the Tamil rebellion movement, an issue she carried into her music.

    Following the band Elastica around the United States, Maya turned her artistic interests toward music. Back in London she created a demo album that traveled around the music industry and gained popularity. Her single Galang was re-released in 2004 under XL Recordings.

    Her first full album, Arular, dropped February of 2005. It was the second most album featured in the Year-End Top 10 list for 2005. Arulpragasam’s second album, Kala, was released in August of 2007; it ended up on the music charts in many countries.

Although M.I.A. has been on the charts since 2003, she is now becoming increasingly popular.

    Her harmonies keep audiences engaged and asking for more. With her addictive lyrics and appealing beats, she is sure to have a spot on my latest iPod playlist.

 

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Written by Rhea Boyd · Filed Under Headlines, Living & Arts, Rhea's Weekly Audio Tour