M.I.A.

Released: August 8, 2007

Songwriter: Switch Diplo M.I.A.

Producer: Diplo

[Intro]
Where were you in '92?
Where were you in '92?
Where were you in '92?
Where were you in '92?
'92? '92? '9-'9-'92?

[Verse 1]
This is how we do it in the XR2
The boys look fine, stereos Alpine
20/20, Thunderbird, 12:09
Took a pill, good time, all the time
This is how we do it in the XR2
The boys look fine, stereos Alpine
20/20, Thunderbird, 12:09
Took a pill, good time, all the time

[Verse 2]
Brick Lane Massive, we were like grime
Ladbroke Grove dance, Bagley's time
High top fades, we're never paid
Rolled-up jeans, easy Lucozade
'sace jeans, shades, and chains
We roll in there like we're late
DJ's, MC's, private raves
Keep it secret - light it, mate

[Chorus]
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go

[Verse 3]
Some of them drink Heineken and some of them drink Bacardi
Some of them talk a lot of shit and act rowdy
Some say people follow me, some say people is the key
When the music's got a beat, then that's what gets me
Some say– and some of them–
Some say– and some of them–
When the music's got a beat, then that's what gets me
Some people think we're stupid, but we not

[Verse 4]
XR2, 808
MP3, MC Eiht
XOX to MC5
MTV had ADD
NBC and BET
BBC is OAP
REM, KLF
IQ up the ICQ
CB4, CPT
BBD and ATL
PDD had BIG
NYC had RNB
OPP, YRB
TLC, SWV
Jodeci, XXX
I heart you, SL2

[Chorus]
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go
Whistle, whistle, blow, blow
Here we, here we go, go

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.

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