M.I.A.

As a student, Arulpragasam became involved in the arts and published a monogram book of her paintings — titled -M.I.A. and heavily influenced by the Tamil rebellion. She later connected with Elastica, providing the photography and graphics for the group’s second album, and she shot footage during their American tour. Elastica’s support act, Peaches, introduced her to the Roland MC-505, a sequencer she became familiar with after returning home. Steve Mackey (Pulp) and Ross Orton became involved after hearing a demo; they made adjustments to ‘Galang,’ a song that was then pressed into 500 copies and released, under the name M.I.A., by the Showbiz label. It didn’t take long for the song — a bold, righteous amalgamation of hip-hop, electro, dancehall, grime, and baile funk — to make an impact with DJs. She wound up signing a contract with XL, which re-released the single and, eventually, debut album Arular in 2005. Anticipation for the release was considerable, only heightened by the Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape she put together with DJ Diplo.

Her second album, Kala, was released in 2007 and was recorded while she spent time in numerous countries. M.I.A. produced most of its tracks with Switch; Blaqstarr, Diplo, and Timbaland also contributed. One single from the album, ‘Paper Planes,’ became a surprise hit in summer 2008 after it was used in trailers for the film Pineapple Express; it eventually reached the Top Ten. The soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning Slumdog Millionaire also featured M.I.A.’s music; the release featured new material from the artist, and was the first disc issued on her N.E.E.T. label. ///Y/, the third M.I.A. album, was released in 2010.