Pitchfork: So tell me a bit about Kala. I just heard it for the first time today, and--dayamn, girl. loves it. of course, the rich dorks over at stereogum, do not love it. their post on this is entitled "bigmouth strikes again," because heaven fucking forbid someone (read: a brown woman from a third-world country) say something that doesn't sit well w/ scene politics. lily allen, of course, can say + do anything she pleases, no matter how revolting, simply because she's a privileged white kid. don't you just love these "liberal" scene people? anyway, she goes on to say:M.I.A.: Diplo didn't make it.
Pitchfork: Uh, what?
M.I.A.: He never made Arular, but you guys keep writing it.
Pitchfork: 'He' being Diplo?
M.I.A.: You're not listening to me at all, are you?
Pitchfork: I'm trying. It's a little hard to hear you.
M.I.A.: Forget what I said. [Pauses] What do you think I said?
Pitchfork: I heard you say something to the effect of "he didn't make Arular and he also didn't make this record." I'm wondering who you're referring to, though I could take a wild guess.
M.I.A.: Yesterday I read like five magazines in the airplane-- it was a nine hour flight-- and three out of five magazines said "Diplo: the mastermind behind M.I.A.'s politics!" And I was wondering, does that stem from [Pitchfork]? Because I find it really bonkers.
Pitchfork: Well, it's hard to say where it originated. We certainly have made reference to Diplo playing a part on your records, but it seems like everyone plays that up.
M.I.A.: If you read the credits, he sent me a loop for "Bucky Done Gun", and I made a song in London, and it became "Bucky Done Gun". But that was the only song he was actually involved in on Arular. So the whole time I've had immigration problems and not been able to get in the country, what I am or what I do has got a life of its own, and is becoming less and less to do with me. And I just find it a bit upsetting and kind of insulting that I can't have any ideas on my own because I'm a female or that people from undeveloped countries can't have ideas of their own unless it's backed up by someone who's blond-haired and blue-eyed. After the first time it's cool, the second time it's cool, but after like the third, fourth, fifth time, maybe it's an issue that we need to talk about, maybe that's something important, you know.
There is an issue especially with what male journalists write about me and say "this MUST have come from a guy." I can understand that, I can follow that, that's fine. But when female journalists as well put your work and things down to it being all coming from a man, that really fucks me up. It's bullshit. I mean, for me especially, I felt like this is the only thing I have, and if I can stick my neck out and go for the issues and go through my life as it is, the least I can have is my creativity.
well, could be that it's not just a sexism issue-- there's also class to consider. i think this is why lily allen has become so popular amongst scene types + why m.i.a has become "played out." allen took m.i.a.'s basic template + stripped it of its grit, its balls, its originality + injected it w/ a bratty sense of privileged entitlement. since music is more about identity than anything else/ w scenesters, allen is much more appealing, as she is privileged, white, narcissistic, etc-- everything the majority of scenesters are. she's not weird + alien-looking like m.i.a. is. sure, m.i.a. has an exotic appeal, but that is a simple novelty.
anyway, i've always dug m.i.a.'s music, but now i have a whole new respect for her as a person. i can't wait for her new album-- it'll be money well spent.
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