M.I.A.’s music video for “Borders” won’t be snatching up any moonmen come the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. The self-directed video which addressed the Syrian refugee crisis by building boats out of people was blanked by the nominating committee, a decision that M.I.A. called racist, sexist, classist and elitist in a Twitter rant on July 28.
““MIA – BORDERS is not included in the VMAs #hahahahhaahahhaha!!,” she wrote. “Racism sexism classism elitism #dontwantyourlane!”
M.I.A. added that she thinks the video was excluded in favor of safer picks because it shows a non-American view of the world.
“BORDERS came representing people outside US showing [the world],” she tweeted. “This is a perfect example of ‘allowed’ voice vs excluded voices.”
Check out M.I.A.’s full rant below:
https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/758621030965506048
https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/758625505893556225
https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/758627848932433920
It’s far from the first time that the rapper has called out mainstream artists and channels. She generated a fair amount of controversy earlier this year when she criticized Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce for not speaking out on behalf of Muslims and refugees.
“Is Beyonce or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters?” she asked. “That’s a more interesting question. And you cannot ask it on a song that’s on Apple.” These comments would eventually lead her to bow out of 2016’s Afropunk festival.
(Via Radio.com)