M.I.A.

M.I.A. is the stage name of Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam MBE, a British rapper and vocalist. Her music utilizes electric instruments and samples along with aspects of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop, and world music. M.I.A., whose parents are Sri Lankan Tamils, was born in London before moving with her family at the age of six months to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. When M.I.A. was a young child, the family was uprooted by the Sri Lankan Civil War, which forced them to flee to London when M.I.A. was 11 years old. The war had a significant impact on M.I.A.'s artistic vision. In 2000, she began her career as a visual artist, filmmaker, and designer. In 2002, she started her recording career.