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M.I.A. Reflects On 10 Years Since 'Arular', Puts Oprah On Blast For Calling Her A Terrorist
M.I.A. Reflects On 10 Years Since 'Arular', Puts Oprah On Blast For Calling Her A Terrorist

M.I.A. Reflects On 10 Years Since 'Arular', Puts Oprah On Blast For Calling Her A Terrorist

M.I.A. Reflects On 10 Years Since 'Arular', Puts Oprah On Blast For Calling Her A Terrorist

M.I.A. -- always one to put her political stance at the forefront of her artistry -- recently divulged some fairly disappointing tidbits about an interaction she once had with Oprah, which left the Tamil singer and activist with some hard feelings (to say the least.) A new Rolling Stone interview reflected on 10 years since her debut Arular, the hardships endured throughout that period and leading up to it. She notes, one of the most difficult obstacles in her come up was battling public sentiment that equated her Sri Lankan descent to terrorism in post-9/11 US of A, which came to a boil after running into the daytime talkshow magnate at a Time party in 2009. Let's just say that the interaction wasn't the most diplomatic one the Big O's ever had. You can read an account of the standoff, as well as words for Diplo and the influence of her debut record below. Get the full script by hitting the link below.

>>>Read M.I.A.'s Full Interview (via Rolling Stone)

On her run-in with Oprah: 

"In 2009, Time nominated me for one of the most influential people of the 21st century or something and I met Oprah at that party. And I was like, "Hey, people are gonna fucking die in my country. Like, please pay attention." And she was like, "You're shit because you were rude to Lady Gaga and I'm not talking to you. And I'm gonna interview Tom Cruise jumping on my sofa, so fuck off. Yeah, she didn't talk to me. She shut me down. She took that photo of me, but she was just like, "I can't talk to you because you're crazy and you're a terrorist." And I'm like, "I'm not. I'm a Tamil and there are people dying in my country and you have to like look at it because you're fucking Oprah and every American told me you're going to save the world."

The self-fulfilling prophecy of Arular: 

"Arular, we're talking about the Tamil situation saying, "Hi, here's the shit that's about to happen. That's why you have to listen to me. I am not a terrorist, but everybody is getting called one. And if George Bush succeeds in calling everyone one, then I would technically be one because I am brown, therefore I am. And if we carry on like that, then this is where that goes. A whole bunch of innocent people are going to get massacred to death on a beach." Fast-forward four years from Arular, that shit happened for real. "