Sri Lankan Rappers in Public Feud Over LTTE
New York, 27 August, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lankan rapper Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (who goes by the stage name MIA) and Sri Lankan hip-hop artist DeLon are trading charges against each other in a rousing battle on the internet.
Sri Lankan rapper Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam
DeLon has accused MIA of implicitly supporting the LTTE cause, primarily through her lyrics and video images. But she has vehemently denied the charges.
Her father, Arular Arulpragasam, a founder member of the Tamil militant group EROS, and who is currently based in London, told Asiantribune, the charges are erroneous and outdated.
"She is not alone in this. She has an army of people behind her and she will deal with this matter in a manner she deems fit. This issue has been taken up and dealt with two years ago and the matter referred to are outdated," he added in an email message to Asiantribune.
In a letter to her father, MIA says "its good to have the facts on file". She says she told the media she isn't interested in starting a dialogue with DeLon, who she says, "wants to promote himself and sell t-shirts on the back of my song."
MIA, who currently lives in New York, also says that in America her song is number 2 and 3 in the singles chart. "And I'm selling 100,000 copies of my song a week. So, there will be jealousy, but they can only attack me with my own song, which at the end of the day proves that its about talent."
"My time will come to clear this up, properly and this guy doesn't have to be anywhere near me when that time comes. I'll do it when its right for me, not him. Also, I'd rather win this with talent and the right to be recognized.'
She continues: "It just so happens I'm a Tamil, and I won't forget my history or my personal experience. But Tamils have to be smarter to get their stories heard, without getting milled, banned and buried. I just don't know what that is yet. But politics might not be the solution."
A web story last week said that in a YouTube video posted in late July, which remixes MIA's latest number "Paper Planes," DeLon claims that the Sri Lankan rapper used LTTE imagery in her song.
DeLon's version re-cuts the MIA version with Tamil Tiger bombings and child soldiers, and openly questions whether M.I.A. supports terrorists. DeLon says MIA consistently uses tigers in imagery -- on clothes, in videos -- and that MIA has called her father a "freedom fighter."
According to BBC, 'Paper Planes', has reached number 16 in the singles chart after being included in the trailer for the comedy film "Pineapple Express".
Marshall Shen, head of DeLon's record label, Ceylon, told E! "In the video, we didn't really accuse her of being a Tamil Tiger," But we're asking, why she is putting these images out there if she doesn't support them?"
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
She came to UK thanks to
She came to UK thanks to LTTE terrorism so she works for them! This way they can bring more asylum seekers to Europe, Australia, USA and Canada!
These people like terrorism to exists in Sri Lanka. This is the only method they can migrate to Developed countries!
Keep Supporting terrorism! You'll soon go to 6 feet under!
Where exactly has LTTE
Where exactly has LTTE imagery been used in that song “Paper Planes”? Towards the end of the song, there is small clip of a moving vehicle with a skull & bones sticker, and it should be because, I think, the singer is a member of that society (Pirate skulls & bones). The message of the song is quite ironical that it takes on what immigrants are going through in Western countries (perception).
P.S. I checked only one song - "Paper Planes". There may be other clips that she has used LTTE imagery.
Many Sri Lankan tamils came
Many Sri Lankan tamils came to UK thanking to LTTE and they know it and LTTE knows it. Soo, interms of LTTE is concerns, paying a small price monthly to LTTE accounts shouldn't be a bid deal, otherwise, these people may still riding bullokcarts in Sri Lanka.
Agree with the comments made
Agree with the comments made by some commentators. Many tamils have suffered and there are thousands GENUINE refugees ALSO in India and Sri Lanka. Those who have the means and those with strong resources and connections have obtained "green cards" to seek "refuge" in Canada, USA, Australia and the rich part of the European continent using this conflict as an excuse. Didn't the Sun God call those who emigrated (sorry, sought refuge) to the rich part of the Western World traitors and he had plans for them if they returned. Now they are keeping the Sun God's coffers full. Those who have emigrated to these rich western countries using this conflict as an excuse have to keep on over exaggerating atrocities, the discrimination in Sri Lanka in order to legitamize their existence in the west. They also suffer from a holocaust syndrome and some even equate their plight to those of the Palestines. Those who are away are more hardliners and intransigent than those tamils live in Sri Lanka. One must not also forget that many young tamils were shipped off to the West by their parents becasue of the fear of them being forcibely recruited to fight the Sun God's war.
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