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MIA dropped over Black Lives Matter comments

The British rapper will no longer appear at the London edition of Afropunk Fest after asking if "Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar are going to say Muslim Lives Matter" too

By IQ on 18 Jul 2016

MIA, Outside Lands 2009, Moses Namkung

MIA performs at Outside Lands in San Francisco


image © Moses Namkung

MIA has been dropped from her headline slot at the inaugural Afropunk Fest London over comments perceived to be critical of the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

In an interview with the Evening Standard’s Richard Godwin in April, following Beyoncé’s black power-themed Super Bowl performance, the British Tamil rapper said: “It’s interesting that in America the problem you’re allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter.

“Is [sic] Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That’s a more interesting question.”

Many ticketholders threatened to boycott the festival – a spin-off from an event held in Brooklyn since 2005 and Paris since 2015 – in response to the interview, leading to speculation as to whether MIA (Mathangi Arulpragasam) would still play.

In a statement released on Friday, Afropunk said that “after discussing the situation with the artist [MIA] and the community, a decision was agreed upon by all involved that MIA will no longer headline”.

A new headliner will be announced tomorrow. We’re calling it now: it’s going to be Ted Nugent.

 


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