Kid Cudi cuts M.I.A. from tour after she says she ‘can’t do illegal’ in political rant on stage

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As a huge Kid Cudi fan, I was pretty shocked to hear about the situation with M.I.A. on his tour. Apparently, after some comments she made onstage in Dallas – something about not wanting to do anything illegal and suggesting people in the audience might be here illegally – there was a lot of criticism. It seems like Kid Cudi responded quickly and has now removed her as the opening act. It’s definitely a messy situation, and I can understand why he’d take action.

The issue began gaining attention on Reddit after people who attended her Saturday concert shared concerns about comments she made. She reportedly claimed she was facing backlash for being a Republican voter of color, which led to boos from the crowd. Despite not being a U.S. citizen, she has publicly supported Donald Trump’s campaign for president in 2024.

In a video clip, she stated she wouldn’t break the law, even suggesting some audience members might be willing to do so, which visibly surprised people.

Kid Cudi announced on Monday that M.I.A. had left his tour. He explained that he’d previously asked her team to avoid anything potentially offensive during his shows, and they had confirmed they understood his request.

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Kid Cudi’s new podcast showcases a more relaxed and fun side of the artist, featuring casual conversations and life advice – like a big brother would give – with surprising celebrity guests.

He shared on Instagram that he’s received a lot of messages from fans who were upset by recent onstage comments. He said he was disappointed and won’t allow anyone on his tour to make offensive statements that bother his fans.

The artist launched into a passionate statement while introducing her song “ILLYGIRL,” which includes the defiant lyrics, “I’m illegal, f— your law.” She also explained in a separate video that she and members of her team were facing visa issues, saying, “I’m illegal, half my team aren’t here because they didn’t get the visa.” She then urged her audience to ignore negative online commentary, telling them not to listen to “what the bots say on the internet.”

Following Cudi’s announcement that she was no longer part of the tour, she posted a strongly worded message on X, stating that she wrote the songs “Borders,” “Illygal,” and “Paper Planes” long before advocating for immigrant rights became popular. She emphasized that she had fought these challenges on her own, without the support of her large fanbase.

M.I.A., born Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, is a rapper originally from Britain. Her parents are from Sri Lanka, and she lived there as a child before her family fled to London as refugees during the Sri Lankan civil war.

She’s most famous for her 2008 song “Paper Planes,” which features the line, “If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name.” Many of her songs explore topics like immigration, politics, and war.

She publicly became a born-again Christian in 2022, and this faith deeply influenced her latest album, M.I.7, which explores Christian themes throughout.

In a post on Monday, she claimed people were falsely twisting the meaning of her song lyrics, stating they were inspired by negative forces. She also shared her belief that Jesus was an outsider who challenged the status quo and would return to inspire a fight against unfairness. She concluded by urging her followers to listen to her new song, M.I.7.

Kudi’s ‘Rebel Ragers’ tour began on March 28th with M.I.A. and Big Boi opening the shows. He recently announced that his Birmingham, Alabama concert on Tuesday was canceled because not enough tickets were sold. The tour will continue with Big Boi as the opening act, and A-Trak, Me N Ü, and Dot Da Genius will open on select dates.

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2026-05-05 08:01