Kid Cudi Drops M.I.A. From Tour After ‘Offensive Remarks’ as Opener

Kid Cudi has dropped M.I.A. from his Rebel Ragers Tour after she made “offensive remarks” while serving as opener at a recent gig.

At a May 2 tour stop at Dallas’ Dos Equis Pavilion, M.I.A. told the crowd, “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter,” Variety reports. The rapper added that she wouldn’t perform her song “Illegal” because “there’s probably one in the crowd.”

M.I.A.’s rants drew criticism from fans who came to see Kid Cudi’s tour, leading the rapper to announce Monday that M.I.A. had been dropped from her support slot for the remainder of the trek.

“TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A is no longer on this tour,” Kid Cudi wrote on social media. “I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood.” 

Kid Cudi continued, “After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding. Rager.”

M.I.A., who recently released her new album M.I.7, has not yet commented on her dismissal. The rapper has been candid about her polarizing politics in recent years, from spreading misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine to selling a line of anti-5G clothing via The Alex Jones Show to supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

The Rebel Ragers Tour continues Wednesday in Atlanta, presumably with a new opener.