M.I.A. Proves She’s ‘Still A Ryda’


Over the course of her career, M.I.A. has made a name for herself with her politically-charged music. The polarizing artist is back with a new video that picks up right where she left off. She premiered the clip "Poc That Still A Ryda" on YouTube, describing it as a "LRICAL [sic] mix of songs on my upcoming LP." While we're not quite sure how exactly the song is a mix of the entire album, it does remain true to what we've come to expect from her.

Backed by a driving sample that she describes as "an Indian beat sampled by American Hip Hop sampled by a Sri Lankan," the song features her singsong-raps calling out various references to pop culture, current events and more with lines such as, "I'm here for every color, including Black Lives Matter." Though she is not featured in the video herself, it still is a fascinating view, showing men on horseback and in cars racing across a desert landscape.

"Poc That Still A Ryda" is set to appear on the follow-up to 2013's Matangi. Though there's no official release date as of yet, she did reveal during a recent Periscope session that it is due out sometime in July and could potentially be her last album with her American label (interestingly enough, her last album came out on her own label N.E.E.T. Recordings, which was distributed by Interscope). Rihanna was apparently supposed to appear on the new album, but it seems that is no longer the case, though the reason was not revealed. During the Periscope session, she also talked about her ongoing U.S. Visa issues, which are preventing her from returning to the country. She isn't letting that slow her down, however. She plans to embark on an European tour next year.

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