M.I.A. has filed a lawsuit against Kid Cudi, escalating a dispute that began when she was removed as a front act for the Rebel Rangers Tour.
In early May, M.I.A. made controversial remarks during her performance, sparking backlash from Kid Cudi’s fanbase. The rapper immediately responded by kicking the singer from his tour, saying that he won’t tolerate someone upsetting his fans.
M.I.A. has taken legal action and claimed her firing was for publicity, calling out Kid Cudi for breach of contract and seeking $2.8 million as compensation.
M.I.A. Claims She Was Fired For Publicity
M.I.A., born Mathangi Arulpragasam, has filed a complaint against Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, known professionally as Kid Cudi, after she was fired as a front act for the rapper’s ongoing Rebel Rangers Tour.
In documents obtained by Rolling Stone, M.I.A. claims that she was terminated to generate publicity for the tour, citing low ticket sales. Moreover, the singer alleges that Kid Cudi was aware of her controversial reputation and political affiliations before she was hired.
“Kid Cudi’s claimed shock over her comments he now labels as ‘offensive,’ and his abrupt and unjustified termination of her performance agreement is a desperate attempt to sell tickets for his tour that was drastically underselling,” the complaint read.
M.I.A. has long been a polarizing figure in music, drawing headlines for her outspoken political views and public statements that have resulted in public criticism. Kid Cudi announced that she was going to be part of his tour in late January.
M.I.A. Accuses The Rapper Of Breach Of Contract
M.I.A. also claims that her contract allowed her “full creative control” of her performance. As noted in the complaint, “She was contractually allowed to say whatever she wanted on stage.”
The “Paper Planes” singer is seeking $2.8 million, the amount she was allegedly guaranteed on her contract, “regardless of what she said on stage.” The singer claimed that Kid Cudi “directed” Live Nation, the tour’s promoter, to fire her. She is also seeking additional fees in excess of $75,000 for compensatory damages and attorney fees.
“M.I.A. now holds Kid Cudi accountable for his bad faith destruction of her contractual rights, business opportunities, and reputation,” the complaint noted.
The Singer’s Viral Rant
On May 2, M.I.A. opened for Kid Cudi in Dallas, Texas. A clip of the singer ranting on stage went viral, in which she said, “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.” Her statement was met by boos from the audience.
She also talked about her 2010 song, “Illygirl,” also referred to as “Illegal,” saying that she wasn’t allowed to perform it. “I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience,” she said.
“All right, I’m illegal. Half of my team are not here because they didn’t get the visa, okay? I want you to know that. All right? So, don’t listen to what the bots say on the internet,” M.I.A. continued.
Kid Cudi Responded By Kicking The Singer Off His Tour
Two days after the viral performance, Kid Cudi took to Instagram Stories and posted an update, telling his followers that M.I.A. would no longer be part of his front act for the remainder of his tour.
The rapper claimed that he was inundated with messages from fans, telling him how upset they were over M.I.A.’s “offensive remarks” and “rants.” He claimed that prior to the tour, he explicitly told his team that he didn’t want “anything offensive” at his tour.
“This, to me, is very disappointing and I won’t have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase,” Kid Cudi said.
M.I.A. Claps Back At Critics Amid Backlash
Following her firing, the “Bad Girls” singer clapped back with a lengthy post on X, defending her actions. “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,” M.I.A. wrote.
The singer continued by saying she wrote some of her songs before “IMMIGRANT RIGHTS WERE COOL,” adding that her words were misinterpreted and she was being gaslighted.
M.I.A. signed off by urging her followers to listen to her latest album, released in April, “M.I.7,” which was inspired by her Christian faith.