Kid Cudi Drops M.I.A. from Tour Over Offensive Remarks
Kid Cudi has removed M.I.A. from his Rebel Ragers tour after her comments at a Dallas show on May 2 sparked fan backlash. During her support slot, M.I.A. told the audience she was "cancelled for being a brown Republican voter" and claimed she couldn't perform her song "Illygal" about an undocumented migrant because "some of you could be in the audience." Footage shows fans booing her. In an Instagram statement, Kid Cudi said he was "very disappointed" and had told M.I.A.'s management he wanted nothing offensive. He believed his request was understood. M.I.A. later posted on X that she wrote "Illygal" before "immigrant rights were cool" and dismissed the backlash as a "virtue signal era." The London-born singer, known for her political themes and 2008 hit "Paper Planes," has previously courted controversy over anti-vaccine comments, support for Donald Trump, and a clothing line claiming to block Wi-Fi and 5G. Kid Cudi's tour continues with over 30 dates.
Key facts
- Kid Cudi removed M.I.A. from his Rebel Ragers tour over offensive remarks.
- M.I.A. was booed at the May 2 Dallas show after calling herself a 'brown Republican voter.'
- She said she couldn't perform 'Illygal' because it could apply to audience members.
- Kid Cudi said he had asked M.I.A.'s management to avoid offensive content.
- M.I.A. has previously been criticized for anti-vaccine and pro-Trump stances.
- She launched a clothing line in 2024 claiming to protect from Wi-Fi and 5G.
- M.I.A. was nominated for an Oscar for 'O... Saya' from Slumdog Millionaire.
- Kid Cudi's tour has dates in more than 30 cities.
Entities
Artists
- Kid Cudi
- M.I.A.
- Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
- Mathangi Arulpragasam
Institutions
- BBC
- Grammy Awards
- Academy Awards
- Billboard
Locations
- Dallas
- Texas
- United States
- London
- Sri Lanka