May 13, 2011 10:33

MIA knows 'nothing' about politics, claims producer Diplo

Producer says outspoken rapper knows little about world issues

Photo Gallery: MIA
Photo: Tim Cochrane

Diplo has claimed that MIA knows "nothing" about the political situations she raps and sings about.

The producer, who worked on MIA's three albums and used to date her, said that he advised her against being overtly political - something she didn't take on board in her lyrics.

Speaking to WWD.com, Diplo said: "Maya left herself open for attacks. She's not an easy artist to criticise because she's very left-leaning, she's progressive, she's a woman. She's good in a lot of aspects, but when it comes to die-hard, facts-on-the-ground politics she's at zero. She's nothing."

He added: "I told her at the beginning of the third record [2010's 'MAYA'], 'Do not bring politics into this.' Obama's the President, for one. You just can't glamorise terrorism, it's not cool… you can't hide behind that shit. But she totally did. She didn't have a plan B. I told her from the beginning it's not going to work. And [journalist] Lynn Hirschberg just ate it up. If she didn’t the critics would have ate her up anyway because the record wasn’t good."

Last year MIA took offence to an article Hirschberg wrote for the New York Times, in which the writer insinuated there was a contradiction between MIA's lifestyle and her political views.

MIA's early childhood was spent in Sri Lanka when the country's civil war had begun. Her father was a Tamil Tiger, part of the separatist guerrilla faction. She has been vocally political and has rapped about the situation in the country and has denied that she supported terrorism.

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