Kid Cudi has announced that M.I.A. has been dropped as the opening act on his current Rebel Ragers Tour.
The rapper shared a statement earlier today (May 4) confirming that he had made the decision after being “flooded with messages from fans” who had complained of “offensive remarks” at the last two shows.
The tour kicked off on April 28 in Phoenix, and at a show at Dallas’ Don Equis Pavilion on Saturday (May 2), M.I.A. was booed by fans after saying, “I can’t do ‘Illegal’, though some of you could be in the audience”, and “I’ve been cancelled for many reasons, I never thought I would be cancelled for being a brown Republican voter”.
Writing on Instagram earlier today, Cudi said: “TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A is no longer on this tour. I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood.”
“After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing, and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding. Rager.”
See footage from the Dallas show here:
@shalsea_mac @KidCudi you were awesome but THIS?? #fyp #kidcudi #fy #TheRebelRagersTour #MIA
@dianarloz
M.I.A. has since responded to the situation, asking people not to “gas light my words”, something she likened to “the work of Satan”.
“I wrote ‘Borders’ and ‘Illegal’ and ‘Paper Planes’ before you thought immigrant rights were cool. I’ve had these battles by myself without the help of millions of fans backing me. I don’t need this virtue signal era to all of a sudden erase an entire life I’ve led,” she continued.
“Jesus was an immigrant and a rebel. I have no apology for the judgemental. The wicked and the ignorant. For those are spirits that we must over come our lives and in this world. Jesus returns to lead the world justly because there is injustice in this world. I’m proud of those who fight for it everyday. God bless you.”
I WROTE ILLYGAL ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010.
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. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026
When an X user then referenced her endorsement of Donald Trump, she replied: “Don’t be an agent of division, I can’t vote in the US, and 48 per cent of Latin community voted Trump. So are you going to hate them all? We must unite to make this country, that everyone wants to live in a better place. If you are easily led by rumour then you don’t see the light for yourself. I pray for your awakening.”
DON'T BE AN AGENT OF DIVISION, I CAN'T VOTE IN THE US, AND 48% OF LATIN COMMUNITY VOTED TRUMP. SO ARE YOU GOING TO HATE THEM ALL?
WE MUST UNITE TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY, THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A BETTER PLACE. IF YOU ARE EASYLY LED BY RUMOUR THEN YOU DON'T SEE THE LIGHT FOR… https://t.co/Sln3rjk9Sc— M.I.A. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026
Ahead of the 2024 election, M.I.A. threw her weight behind Trump’s campaign, saying he would “ride America through the most challenging four years”, adding that “RFK will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously”.
M.I.A. has received backlash for a number of controversial statements – from comparing InfoWars host Alex Jones’s falsehoods about the Sandy Hook shooting to celebrities “pushing” COVID-19 vaccines and suggesting the latter, too, should “pay for lying”. She then clarified her stance on COVID vaccines, saying she’s “not really” an anti-vaxxer.
She released her new album ‘M.I.7’ last month, and announced alongside it a new clothing range that blocks 10G.