Home / Quotes / Quote by M.I.A.

Quote by M.I.A.

“Even if you're frustrated, how do you express yourself? There's no subculture like back in the day.”

Quote by M.I.A.

Author

M.I.A., born Mathangi Arulpragasam, is a British-born Sri Lankan artist known for her unique musical style and strong political consciousness. She blends various musical elements, including hip-hop, electronic, reggae, and world music, creating a distinctive personal sound. M.I.A.'s music often addresses social and political issues, and her music and image are highly controversial. more

You May Also Like

“Across the world, on your phone, everybody gets the same list of things to read, listen to, and watch.”

World Watches Phones Lists

Author:M.I.A.

“With homogenized culture, even if you feel frustrated, you'd have to write a Taylor Swift song to get heard.”

Ifs Feels Writing Song Culture Heard Frustrated

Author:M.I.A.

“In England right now you're not good enough until you get validated.”

Enough Right Now England Good Enough Not Good Enough

Author:M.I.A.

“Now, [hip-hop/grime artists] Stormzy, Skepta, or the Section Boyz have to be validated by Drake, Rihanna or Beyoncé. They're rolled into this one urban culture bubble; it's not really to do with, "I'm specifically f - ked off about my country and what's going on in my town." We're very much only showing success to artists who impress American artists, and I'm one of them.”

Country Artist Culture Towns Hip Hop Hips Hops Bubbles Urban Impress Sections Grime Keds

Author:M.I.A.

“Nowadays, [young musicians] are so quick to be like, "OK, fine, I'll take the cheque, or I'll get the stamp from XYZ, and I'm expanding my brand," rather than thinking, "I'm part of this space over here, and in order for it to grow, you can't have it assimilated by this bigger bubble or corporate brand."”

Thinking Young Order Grows Space Fine Musician Bigger Brands Corporate Bubbles Stamps Expanding Cheques

Author:M.I.A.

“I get called "ISIS" now. Why don't we have a name-and-shame weapons dealership website? Instead, we're like, "Oh my God, are you really talking about the refugees again, making yourself into a caricature?" And it's like, "Until you stop the person in your country who's making billions of dollars from selling weapons, yeah, I have to talk about refugees." Whatever I say will get twisted or messed with.”

Persons Country Names Talking Weapons Shame Yeah Dollars Billions Selling Refugee Twisted Isis Website Caricatures

Author:M.I.A.

“My experience has to be funnelled through a black experience or a white experience, or it doesn't exist, because that's how we're going to deal with the world.”

World Black White Deals

Author:M.I.A.

“Culturally, I found myself in a very weird situation: you were the person that had made that journey to the West, and then you were going back to comment on something, and then suddenly you were questioned and told, "You can't touch that now because you're a pop star."”

Persons Made Found Stars Situation Journey West Pops Comment Pop Stars

Author:M.I.A.

“I come from a generation where you put the art out and had the luxury to sit back and watch the world deconstruct it, and that was valued. Unfortunately now the work lives in a weird context.”

World Art Watches Generations Luxury

Author:M.I.A.

“Any piece of art, when you're putting it on a certain platform, if the platform becomes a political place, you can manipulate things.”

Ifs Art Political Certain Pieces Platforms Manipulate

Author:M.I.A.