M.I.A.

Released: March 17, 2016

Songwriter: M.I.A.

Producer: MC Renee

[Verse 1]
They call me Arular, trendsetter, makin' life real better
Breaking order like a leader now folla
Proppin' poppin' a collar, yea hustle a dollar
You can't touch us like MC Hammer
With my mum's string hoppers, jump in the chopper
Yea, chop up a mango with salt and pepper
Holla, holla, holla, true scholar with a honour
And I'm here to shine the light on the matter

[Hook]
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Creeping in my socks and slipper
Mexicans say "hola!"
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Hiding in my Toyota Corolla, everybody say "Y.A.L.A.!"

[Verse 2]
Bola a bola got a friend called Booma
And he looks like Obama when we burner
Turtleneck and bomber
It's a Bamboo Banga
And you know I'm comin' back with power
Yea '64 Impala, Hummer or Toyota
When I drive in I'm a winner
Whatever I'mma rap got fuel in the burner
Off the grid, staying off the radar

[Hook]
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Creeping in my socks and slipper
Mexicans say "hola!"
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Hiding in my Toyota Corolla, everybody say "Y.A.L.A.!"

[Verse 3]
Yeah shudda a shudda, yeah shoot a computer
Pour yourself a shot of tequila
Time for a banger, throw up your middle finger
I'm a writer competition we gon' murder
I'm a fighter and a lover like winter and summer
I ain't really looking for no drama

[Hook]
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Creeping in my socks and slipper
Mexicans say "hola!"
At the border I see the patroller cruising past in their car
Hiding in my Toyota Corolla, everybody say "Y.A.L.A.!"

[Verse 4]
Most of the things I do, they banned it
But I'ma still do it, I'm a bandit
I'ma still, I'ma still, I'ma still, I'ma still
But I'ma still do it, I'm a bandit
Most of the things I do, they banned it
But I'ma still do it, I'm a bandit
I'ma still, I'ma still, I'ma still, I'ma still
But I'ma still do it, I'm a bandit
Bandit bandit, ba-bandit
Bandit bandit, ba-bandit

One of the most musically-diverse and perplexing artists of the 2000s, Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam is arguably the decade’s best representation of Hip-Hop in its truest form and artistry in its broadest, most diverse format. Her lyrics are as political as Public Enemy, her sound is more eclectic than Stankonia-era Outkast, and she is as aesthetically-driven as Kanye West.

The road that M.I.A. was forced to travel to international stardom was not an easy one. Born on July 18th, 1975 in Hounslow, West London to Sri-Lankan Tamil immigrants, she moved to her parents' homeland when she was only six months old. However, it was the Sri Lankan Civil War which came to shape her childhood. During her formative years, she witnessed many her father was hunted as an enemy of the state, her schools were bombarded, and her impoverished family was constantly in hiding. In 1986, her family moved back to London to find stability and a sense of relative peace.

In England, she discovered her artistic talents and completed several years of secondary education in fine art – eventually gaining attention as a visual artist, painter, and musician. In the early-2000s, Maya began to seriously explore her musical talents and used the internet and underground radio as the means to build her reputation as a unique and talented firebrand. Amidst her no-nonsense politics, however, critics from around the world heard a talent in the making.

more tracks from the album

AIM

From the album

AIM (2016)

M.I.A. popular songs

VisaM.I.A.

M.I.A.

AIM