Rapper Kid Cudi has fired fellow musician M.I.A. from the Rebel Ragers tour, saying she violated an agreement to avoid controversy when she said she’s been canceled for being “a brown Republican” at a recent show in Dallas.
The “Paper Planes” singer went viral over the weekend when she prompted boos from her audience at the Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas, after she declared herself a “brown Republican” and appeared to criticize illegal immigration.
“I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter,” she said, then stating, “I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, Kid Cudi said that his management team had previously informed her team that they were to avoid controversy at his shows, believing that they had come to an agreement.
“TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A is no longer on this tour. I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood,” he said.
“After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing, and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding. Rager,” he added.
M.I.A. later responded to Cudi in a post on X, writing in all caps that the line about illegals has been a part of her act since 2010, further accusing the rapper of doing the “work of Satan” by allegedly twisting her words.
I WROTE ILLYGAL ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010. I STARTED THIS INTRO TO THE SONG WITH THE STATEMENT SAYING I’M ILLYGAL, AND I SAID MY TEAM HASN’T GOTTEN VISAS YET. THEN PLAYED A SONG THAT HAD LYRICS SAYING ‘FU&% THE LAW,’ WHICH I STILL BELIEVE, IF THE LAW IS UNJUST F@%& IT. DO NOT GASLIGHT MY WORDS. THAT IS THE WORK OF SATAN. I WROTE BORDERS AND ILLYGAL AND PAPER PLANES BEFORE YOU THOUGHT IMMIGRANT RIGHTS WERE COOL. I’VE HAD THSES BATTLES BY MYSELF WITHOUT THE HELP OF MILLIONS OF FANS BACKING ME . I DON’T NEED THIS VIRTUE SIGNAL ERA TO ALL OF A SUDDEN ERASE AN ENTIRE LIFE I’VE LED. JESUS WAS AN IMMIGRANT AND A REBEL. I HAVE NO APPOLGY FOR THE JUDGEMENTAL THE WICKED AND THE IGNORENT, FOR THOSE ARE SPIRITS THAT WE MUST OVER COME IN OUR LIVES AND IN THIS WORLD. JESUS RETURNS TO LEAD THE WORLD JUSTLY BECAUSE THERE IS INJUSTICE IN THIS WORLD . IM PROUD OF THOSE WHO FIGHT FOR IT EVERYDAY. GOD BLESS YOU. GO LISTEN TO M.I.7.
M.I.A. previously became a lightning rod for controversy in 2022 when she criticized the coronavirus vaccine.
“I know three people who have died from taking the vaccine and I know three people who have died from Covid. This is in my life, in my experience,” she said. “If anyone is going to deny that experience and gaslight me, saying: ‘No, that’s not your experience,’ then what is the point of anything?”