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Episode details

Radio 4,2 mins

M.I.A.: 'I am more complicated and complex'

Woman's Hour

Available for over a year

When Sri Lankan Tamil-British rapper M.I.A performed her hit Paper Planes at the Grammys three days before giving birth in 2009, she was hailed as the first truly global superstar. A few years later she was labelled a “terrorist” and sued for millions by the NFL for showing her middle finger during a performance with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl. Her journey from pop star to political activist has been a difficult one and it is documented in the film Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. She joins Jane to talk about her career, why the music industry couldn’t bend her to fit their idea of the perfect pop star and being on “Team Normal”.

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