M.I.A. Responds on Social Media After Kid Cudi Removes Her From Tour

Hours after Kid Cudi fired opening act M.I.A. from “The Rebel Ragers Tour” the Sri Lankan artist is addressing the controversy on Twitter (X). Cudi was informed the Sri Lankan artist made some inflammatory remarks during Saturday’s Dallas stop and consequently removed her from the lineup.

The “Day ’n’ Nite” rapper made the announcement on Monday (May 4) via his Instagram Stories, writing, “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.

“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.”

In fan footage posted online, M.I.A. was booed after she made comments such as “I can’t do ‘Illygirl’ though some of you could be in the audience,” in reference to her 2010 track from her  Maya  album, which includes the line “I’m illegal, fuck your law.” She also said she “never thought” she would be “canceled for being a brown Republican voter.”As the boos grew louder, M.I.A. added, “Alright, I’m illegal. Half of my team are not here because they didn’t get the visa. I want you to know that.” M.I.A. quickly took to Twitter (X) to address the controversy.

“I WROTE ‘ILLYGAL’ ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010,” she wrote in all caps. “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 GAS LIGHT 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 APOLOGY FOR THE JUDGMENTAL THE WICKED AND THE IGNORANT, FOR THOSE ARE SPIRITS THAT WE MUST OVER COME IN OUR LIVES AND IN THIS WORLD.”

M.I.A. continued tweeting throughout most of Monday, with one of the most recent reading, “Crucified for words.”

“The Rebel Ragers” Tour kicked off April 28 in Phoenix and is expected to make stops in over 30 cities across North America.

Kid Kudi is co-managed by Three Six Zero and his agency is THE * TEAM.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/05/05/m-i-a-hits-back-after-kid-cudi-fires-her-from-tour/)._