1. M.I.A. is from Sri Lanka by way of London, England.
2. She has a really excellent album due called Arular, which has been marinating for over a year like a gourmet sirloin. The reason for this delay is partly because she wanted to release a perfect album, partly because of music industry politics, and partly because it was a great setup for the joke that came in the form of a bunch of record labels suddenly passing it around like a hot potato on the eve of its release.
3. M.I.A.'s father, for whom Arular is named, is a revolutionary with links to the Tamil Tigers. Although her lyrics are salt and peppered with violent imagery, M.I.A. has no terrorist affiliation. But politics follow her wherever she goes, and she likes it that way.
4. With the help of boyfriend Diplo, M.I.A. slipstreamed a bootleg mix called Piracy Funds Terrorism into our veins last year. This ridiculously great disc contained snippets of Arular interspersed with bits of Jay-Z, the Bangles, Missy Elliott, baile funk, and other stuff like that, and pretty much everyone who heard it loved it.
5. M.I.A.'s real name is Maya Arulpragasam. She is 27 years old.
6. M.I.A. mentions the PLO in the lyrics to a song called "Sunshowers". The reference makes some people angry, some uneasy, and others curious. So far, it is the closest thing she has to a "Creep".
7. After graduating in film from London's St. Martin's College, M.I.A. eventually fell in with Elastica, who commissioned her to make their tour documentary. She got her start in music when Justine Frischmann gave her a Roland 505 and encouraged her to start making tracks of her own.
8. Bloggers really love her, but she has yet to make Billboard's acquaintance.
9. Arular was produced by a revolving door of people, including former Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, British pop mastermind Richard X, Fat Truckers' Ross Orton, and Diplo himself.
10. If there's a better album than Arular released this year, a lot of people will be really happy. Actually, if Arular is released this year, a lot of people will be really happy.
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