M.I.A.

The first and only major artist in world music, 33 · Everywhere Earlier this year, Sri Lankan--British rapper M.I.A. announced she was giving up music for clothing design. Maybe it was the exhaustion talking, but get to know her story and the first thing that becomes apparent is that she's not one for staying in one place for very long. Here, a country-by-country guide to her transnational life, which directly informs her unclassifiable and revolutionary music. ENGLAND: Born in London. SRI LANKA: Her father, Arul, a Tamil revolutionary, cofounded a militant Tamil group. Her debut album is named Arular after him. Album art features images of tanks, bombs, and tigers. INDIA: Childhood residence, age six to nine. The song "Jimmy" is based... [read full story]