M.I.A.

Born: 1975-07-18

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam MBE (born 18 July 1975), known by her stage name M.I.A. (an acronym of "Missing in Acton"), is a British rapper, singer, record producer and activist. Her songs contain evocative political and social commentary regarding immigration, warfare and identity in a globalised world. Her music combines elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop and world music with eclectic instruments and samples. She started out as a visual artist, filmmaker and designer in 2000, and began her recording career in 2002. M.I.A.'s first two albums, Arular (2005) and Kala (2007), received widespread critical acclaim for their experimentation with hip hop and electronic fusion. The single "Paper Planes" from Kala reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and sold over four million copies. Her third album Maya (2010) was preceded by the controversial single-short film "Born Free". Maya was her best-charting effort, reaching the top 10 on several charts. Her fourth studio album, Matangi (2013), included the single "Bad Girls", which won accolades at the MTV Video Music Awards. M.I.A. released her fifth studio album, AIM, in 2016. She scored her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single as a featured artist on Travis Scott's "Franchise" (2020). M.I.A.'s accolades include two American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. She is the first person of South Asian descent to be nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award in the same year. She was named one of the defining artists of the 2000s decade by Rolling Stone, and one of the 100 most influential people of 2009 by Time. Esquire ranked M.I.A. on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century. According to Billboard, she was one of the "Top 50 Dance/Electronic Artists of the 2010s". M.I.A. was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for her services to music.


Placeholder

The Trust Fall: Julian Assange

as Herself - Narrator
Released: 2024-01-25

Examining the meaning and significance of the insights that WikiLeaks shared with the world,...

Movie page

Madonna: MDNA World Tour

as Self - Vocals
Released: 2013-06-22

The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by Madonna. Madonna had embarked on The MDNA Tour for...

Movie page

Fyre Fraud

as Self (Archival Footage)
Released: 2019-01-14

A true-crime comedy exploring a failed music festival turned internet meme at the nexus of...

Movie page

Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.

as Self
Released: 2018-09-21

Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate...

Movie page

FRANCHISE: The IMAX Experience

as Self
Released: 2020-09-24

Following his work with Christopher Nolan on the IMAX release of Tenet and his featured song...

Movie page

F10RIDA

as herself
Released: 2015-01-07

Documentary about the 10th aniversary of the album FLORIDA, by DJ Diplo.

Movie page

Real Time with Bill Maher

as Self
First aired: 2003-02-21

Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors,...

TV Show page

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

as Self - Musical Guest
First aired: 1993-09-13

Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that...

TV Show page

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

as uncredited
First aired: 2003-01-26

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and...

TV Show page

The Grammy Awards

as Self
First aired: 1959-11-29

An awards show honoring the achievements of the members of the professional music recording...

TV Show page