M.I.A Dropped From Afropunk Festival After Controversial Black Lives Matter Comments

#MIA is known to be controversial and outspoken, however she still hasn’t lived down her comments pertaining to #BlackLivesMatter. 

Back in April, M.I.A did an interview with London’s Evening Standard. In the interview she discusses Black Lives Matters, and why black people aren’t speaking up for other lives. 

“It’s interesting that in America the problem you’re allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter,” said M.I.A. “It’s not a new thing to me—it’s what #LaurynHill was saying in the 1990s, or #PublicEnemy in the 1980s. Is #Beyoncé or #KendrickLamar 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 program, you cannot create that tag on Twitter, #MichelleObama is not going to hump you back.”

Many criticized M.I.A for slamming #BLM in an attempt to discuss her own agenda, especially since BLM comes under fire almost daily. Considering the backlash Beyonce and Kendrick received for speaking up for black people, M.I.A’s statements about them being “allowed” to talk about it, couldn’t be further from the truth. Since that day in April, M.I.A has been addressing those comments on social media and subsequent interviews. 

#Afropunk has taken a stance also. According to a recent statement from their London based music festival, M.I.A has been dropped as a headliner. “After discussing the situation with the artist and the community, a decision was agreed upon by all involved that M.I.A will no longer headline Afropunk London,” festival organizers said Friday.  “#AfropunkLondon will be releasing a new headliner on July 19th.”

It appears M.I.A saw the news coming. Back in June she tweeted that she would not be participating in the festival’s inaugural event in #London and even threatened to boycott since they put so much focus on Black Lives Matter.