M.I.A. Worth Finding

M.I.A.: Arular ****
"I got the bombs to make you blow, I got the beats to make you bang" sings Sri Lankan come UK MC Maya Arulpragasam on "Pull Up The People." This is political hip hop dub straight out the jungle. It's bubble gum two step with an AK-47 tucked behind its back. M.I.A. is the MC equivalent of one of those child soldiers you see fighting in third world nations, only her words are her weapons and it's the music industry and the minds of her listeners she is looking to overthrow. You may need a translator at first, but whether or not you pick up on her message (and it's worth figuring out), you can still shake your ass. She's easy on the eyes too. This is a must have for the summer!

There is a cool feature on M.I.A.'s site called Online Piracy Funds Terrorism (named after her first mixtape) where you can download parts of her songs and make your own remixes. Check it out here.

Here are M.I.A.'s upcoming North American tour dates (LCD Soundsystem is the opener):
Thu 05/19/05 Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
Sat 05/21/05 Toronto, ON Opera House
Sun 05/22/05 Montreal, QC La Tulipe
Thu 06/09/05 Boston, MA Avalon
Sun 06/12/05 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

You can watch her "Sunshowers" video here (must have RealPlayer).