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

I don't really see a difference in independent and major labels. To me, it's pretty much the same. There used to be…

— M.I.A

I come from a generation where you put the art out and had the luxury to sit back and watch the world…

— M.I.A

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

— M.I.A

I'm just so grateful for the 10 years that I had in Sri Lanka when it was in the middle of a…

— M.I.A

If it's just politics that's running music, f - k that. I'm out of here! I can't think of anything more boring.

— M.I.A

Everyone has that moment where they just rebel.

— M.I.A

Creativity needs time to harness before it goes out, and because that's difficult, memes have become the creative language.

— M.I.A

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

— M.I.A

When we moved to England in 1986, I was ten years old and I didn't know anything about punk or hip hop.…

— M.I.A

The music industry was invented, like, 100 years ago. I'm talking about the goddess Matangi, who invented music 5,000 years ago. She…

— M.I.A

I wanted to represent a different decade, and I wanted someone who goes back further than me. I go back the furthest…

— M.I.A

You have to have your fashion stylist person not sell out and sell your s - t to another pop star because…

— M.I.A

I already feel that I am making a political statement by sticking around in music, when I am doing it so differently…

— 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

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

Predominantly in the West, if you can only have creative voices that are either black or white, I'm going to say whatever…

— 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

There's a bit of hope that a song can be about anything. If you want to write a song about anything, you…

— M.I.A

In my head I actually think my songs are pop songs. I think, Damn, that's a pop song! I can practice in…

— M.I.A

Culturally, I found myself in a very weird situation: you were the person that had made that journey to the West, and…

— M.I.A

There has been an effect of business rap on the output of today's rap music. But I don't think that's the modern…

— 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

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

— M.I.A

Any piece of art, when you're putting it on a certain platform, if the platform becomes a political place, you can manipulate…

— M.I.A