Kid Cudi has removed British artist MIA from his tour following her controversial remarks during a Dallas performance that ignited backlash from fans.
On May 2, MIA took the stage as the opening act and told the crowd she had been canceled for identifying as a Republican voter. The declaration drew boos from the audience, which she addressed by saying, "I've been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter."
The moment spread rapidly online, and by the following day, Kid Cudi announced the split in an Instagram story. He said he had warned MIA's team before the tour began that he would not tolerate offensive material at his shows. "After the last couple shows, I've been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants," he wrote. "This, to me, is very disappointing and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase."
Video from the May 2 performance showed MIA introducing the song "Illegal" by referencing visa issues affecting her team members. When the audience booed, she doubled down, saying half her staff couldn't attend because they lacked proper documentation. She also noted that the song itself contains lyrics questioning legal authority.
MIA responded to the fallout on social media, clarifying that "Illegal" has been part of her catalog since 2010 and that her comments centered on immigration paperwork delays, not political ideology. She also pushed back against speculation about her voting preferences, noting she is ineligible to vote in U.S. elections and that a significant portion of the Latino community had backed the same candidate some were criticizing her for supposedly supporting.
The removal marks another chapter in MIA's recent pattern of public controversy. She has faced criticism for spreading unproven claims about 5G technology and vaccines, including a 2020 tweet stating she would choose death over a vaccine with a microchip. Her fashion brand, Ohmni, markets clothing claiming to shield wearers from 5G, wi-fi, and bluetooth signals, despite scientific organizations like the World Health Organization finding no evidence these technologies harm human health.
Earlier this year, MIA appeared at Coachella with Major Lazer to perform "Paper Planes," drawing attention for a full-body coverall from her surveillance-resistant clothing line. She recently released her seventh studio album, M.I.7, through her own label.
Author James Rodriguez: "MIA's insistence that she was simply discussing visa problems doesn't erase that she opened the door to political messaging at someone else's show, and Kid Cudi made the call his fanbase wanted."
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