Over the weekend, M.I.A. drew massive boos during her opening set in Dallas on Kid Cudi’s “The Rebel Ragers Tour” after claiming she was “canceled” after becoming a Republican and making controversial remarks about potential “illegal” immigrants in the audience. Update: Cudi dropped M.I.A. from the tour on Monday, May 4th.
According to two separate reddit posts about the May 2nd show at Dos Equis Pavilion, the “Paper Planes” singer first commented about the backlash to her being a Republican. Though M.I.A. cannot participate in US elections as a UK citizen, she followed Robert Kennedy Jr.’s lead in 2024 in endorsing Trump.
“I’ve been canceled for many reasons,” M.I.A. said, according to one redditor. “I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.”
As captured in fan-shot videos, M.I.A. said, “I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience.”
When the boos became even louder, she tried to win the crowd back by saying, “I’m illegal — half of my team aren’t here because they couldn’t get their visa.”
Multiple attendees claimed M.I.A. appeared to then pipe in fake cheers following the rant.
On Monday, M.I.A. clarified that she was referring to a song titled “ILLYGIRL” from 2010’s MAYA, adding that videos were “gaslighting” her words.
“I wrote [“ILLYGIRL”] on the MAYA LP, a song from 2010,” M.I.A. wrote in all capital letters. “I started this intro to the song with the statement saying I’m illygal, and I said my team hasn’t gotten visas yet. Then played a song that had lyrics saying, ‘Fu&% the law,’ which I still believe, if the law is unjust, f@%& it.”
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“Do not gas light my words. That is the work of Satan,” she continued. “I wrote Borders and Illygal and Paper Planes before you thought immigrant rights were cool. I’ve had these battles by myself without the help of millions of fans backing me. I don’t need this virtue signal era to all of a sudden erase an entire life I’ve led.”
In another tweet, M.I.A. confirmed that she can’t vote in the US. “Don’t be an agent of division,” she added, “48% of the Latin community voted for Trump. So, are you going to hate them all? We must unite to make this country, that everyone wants to live in a better place. If you are easyly [sic] led by rumour, then you don’t see the light for yourself. I pray for your awakening.”
Best known for the 2007 hit “Paper Planes,” when she sings, “If you catch me at the border, I got visas in my name,” M.I.A. previously flirted with the anti-vax movement in 2020 and launched a clothing line meant to block 5G waves in 2024 on Alex Jones’ Infowars.
She is certainly an odd choice to open for Kid Cudi, who previously told Esquire that he “totally disagree[s]” with his mentor Kanye West’s pro-Trump stance.
The next stop on Cudi’s tour is on Tuesday, May 5th in Birmingham, Alabama. Get tickets here, though you may want to time your arrival for other special guests including Big Boi and A-Trak instead.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with a statement from M.I.A.
@KidCudi you were awesome but THIS?? #fyp #kidcudi #fy #TheRebelRagersTour #MIA
♬ original sound – The Famous Grave Co.
Replying to @Dante sorry this is ALL i gottt #fyp #kidcudi #mia #paperplanes #rebelragerstour
I was in disbelief. #concert #concerts #kidcudi
I WROTE ILLYGAL ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010.
I STARTED THIS INTRO TO THE SONG WITH THE STATEMENT SAYING I’M ILLYGAL, AND I SAID MY TEAM HASN’T GOTTEN VISAS YET. THEN PLAYED A SONG THAT HAD LYRICS SAYING “FU&% THE LAW”, WHICH I STILL BELIEVE, IF THE LAW IS UNJUST F@%& IT.
— M.I.A. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026
DON’T BE AN AGENT OF DIVISION, I CAN’T VOTE IN THE US, AND 48% OF LATIN COMMUNITY VOTED TRUMP. SO ARE YOU GOING TO HATE THEM ALL?
WE MUST UNITE TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY, THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A BETTER PLACE. IF YOU ARE EASYLY LED BY RUMOUR THEN YOU DON’T SEE THE LIGHT FOR… https://t.co/Sln3rjk9Sc
— M.I.A. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026