M.I.A

I feel like a mirror reflecting back everyones perception of me.

— M.I.A

If music's a political place, I'm out.

— M.I.A

I feel like a mirror reflecting back everyone's perception of me.

— M.I.A

Whoever's inside is inside; whoever's out is out.

— M.I.A

Just make music; don't talk about politics.

— M.I.A

In England right now you're not good enough until you get validated.

— M.I.A

Everyone has that moment where they just rebel.

— M.I.A

“Maybe there's glory in all the things I'm not.”

— M.I.A

Everything I think seems to be controversial, so I feel like I need to just go away for a second and put…

— M.I.A

My father had no influence on my political beliefs, and to imply otherwise is wrong and irresponsible.

— M.I.A

Before the Greeks were the Tamils. The Tamils are one of the oldest civilizations thats still surviving.

— M.I.A

I'm not sticking up for white kids - I'm going to have a barrage of hate mail - but it's true. If…

— M.I.A

I feel like I'm living in the dead weeds of hip-hop. I live in the graveyard of what went wrong with hip-hop.

— M.I.A

Manhattan seems pretty developed, you know what I mean? Like, it has peaked in culture.

— M.I.A

If right now, culture's so divisive, it just leaves these millions of people like me out.

— M.I.A

Even if you're frustrated, how do you express yourself? There's no subculture like back in the day.

— M.I.A

In India, you see the way they embrace color in the culture - it's very celebratory of the existence of color. There's…

— M.I.A

I think people were genuinely addicted to hip hop in the 90s, addicted to the idea of empowerment. I think it came…

— M.I.A

Me, it was always about being able to bounce around to where I wanna be. Like, with 'Arular,' people always say it's…

— M.I.A

By the time it came to the 90s, the late 90s, being a businessman was the beacon to uphold. We've been having…

— M.I.A

Human beings around the world have to be taught to go, 'Tamil equals Tamil civilians first, and the Tamil Tiger is a…

— M.I.A

I never pigeonholed myself - the only reason you'd want to pigeonhole is to monetize your business and, as a person, I…

— M.I.A

At first, I found the music I was making really hard to find a home for. I felt like my attitude was…

— M.I.A

In 2004, I went onstage for the first time. They put a mike in my hand and pushed me out the door…

— M.I.A

People say we're similar with Lady Gaga, that we both mix all these things in the pot and spit them out differently,…

— M.I.A

I think I have to expand my creativity a bit, because it's difficult for critics to be, "Oh, this person writes their…

— M.I.A

I don't understand why people make me want to make music that's a join-the-dots thing by numbers. I find it really difficult…

— M.I.A

Now, [hip-hop/grime artists] Stormzy, Skepta, or the Section Boyz have to be validated by Drake, Rihanna or Beyoncé. They're rolled into this…

— M.I.A

It's a bit weird, because I don't really know what people expect or think being political is; I just don't get it.…

— M.I.A

You have, in America, you have gang signs. Well, 5,000 years ago, there was thing called a mudra, which is your sitting…

— M.I.A

The theme of counterfeits, of those that produce and sell them, has always been part of the culture of M.I.A. When I…

— M.I.A

Nowadays, [young musicians] are so quick to be like, "OK, fine, I'll take the cheque, or I'll get the stamp from XYZ,…

— M.I.A

It's the only thing to do when you're in London - hang out in a taxi.

— M.I.A

We know that those huge U.S. brands do have political sway.

— M.I.A

That's what I miss, being a real human.

— M.I.A

You have to constantly redefine who you are.

— M.I.A

Retirement: a brand new beginning! How wonderful!

— M.I.A

If you narrow the playing field, the next generation has less to put out, to eat and regenerate from.

— M.I.A

It could be the sort of declining grip of the American MTV-nation culture-the fact that MTV doesn't play so much music anymore.

— M.I.A

I have no ties to my dad. I had no communications with him; it didn't shape who I am or anything like…

— M.I.A