In Rotation: Bizarre rants and insecure R&B ballads: M.I.A. and Drake

In Rotation
Bizarre rants and insecure R&B ballads
By T. Farah
Published on 08/12/2010

Artist: M.I.A.
Album: MAYA
Rating: 5/5

Maya Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A., is the whole package. She’s got enough fashion sense to match Lady Gaga without looking trashy and bends more genres into one song than some can fit into an entire discography. M.I.A.’s latest mishmash album, MAYA, is a step up from 2007’s Kala, with 53 minutes of irritating, catchy samples and hooks that will either infect the mind or aggravate the senses.



It was entirely M.I.A.’s intention to piss off everyone’s eardrums—to jolt everyone awake to how even in the age of the Internet, information is still controlled by a select few. The Internet is our Tower of Babel to M.I.A. and she laughs at everyone taking it so seriously through her Twitter. Even she can’t resist the World Wide Web’s charms, but questions how it’s changing culture.

M.I.A. was a visual artist before she was an avant garde singer- songwriter, and her album’s graphics are made before she writes songs for it. The cover art on MAYA, with the YouTube player bars and the gold bricks spelling out her name, hints at the album’s themes of information politics, greed and fame. MAYA is a schizophrenic attempt at deconstructing our current Web- obsessed culture and it hits surprisingly close to home.

Already, the second single “Born Free” has been overused in skateboarding tribute videos, but the official music video has a strangely poignant message. A group of thuggish cops round up all the redheads in an apartment complex and then execute the confused gingers in graphic, disturbing ways. It could be a mirror to Arizona’s own immigration laws or the treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib or just the general senselessness of genocide. Nevertheless, it’s more ballsy than anything MTV has seen in years. As a Sri Lankan refugee, mass murder was a part of M.I.A.’s childhood, so she feels it’s absurd that the Internet provides global communication but humans are still dismembering each other.

Even if M.I.A. campaigns against genocide, she’s no John Lennon, stating on “Lovalot” that she’ll “fight the ones that fight me,” perhaps a response to the death threats against her 1-year-old child. She’s a character of contradictions, but even sifting through her conflicting sentiments has more weight than other female vocalists who only sell sex.

“Tell Me Why” is a cut for fans of M.I.A. who are only familiar with “Paper Planes.” Floaty singing instead of rapid-fire rap with the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers chanting in the background make a more radio-friendly, familiar tune.

After a three-year wait, M.I.A. has exceeded every expectation, making plenty of enemies along the way. MAYA is a bold step for an even bolder artist.

Artist: Drake
Album: Thank Me Later
Rating: 3/5

Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake is less concerned with guns, bitches and bling and more interested in fighting his inner demons. Drake’s introspective slow jams deal with the burden of fame, heartbreak and self-esteem, falling somewhere between Kanye West minus the ego and Kid Cudi minus the upbeat synths.

Thank Me Later, Drake’s chart-topping debut has already grabbed the MC a fistful of nominations and awards, a step-up from Drake’s career acting in TV movies. In New York, a free concert resulted in a riot, as tens of thousands of fans packed a venue dangerously full and grew violent after the show was cancelled. If anything, the guy is making huge waves.

After signing to Young Money under Lil Wayne, rumors abounded that Drake was ghostwriting for Weezy. Accusations that Drake ripped off Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreaks soon followed. Like Drake laments on Thank Me Later’s opener, “Fireworks,” money changed everything and the 23-year-old recording artist can’t handle the pressure.The poor MC is lost in the spotlight that he created for himself.

His sleepy, auto-tuned vocals sometimes sound like Aladdin singing “A Whole New World.” Other times, the feedback can get really grating. Far more R&B than hip-hop, Drake aims to write sexy tunes for lovemaking and naturally, cheesy clichés abound. Some metaphors hit their mark, others fizzle out, like his comparison of his career to firecrackers. Does he mean to say he’s loud, pretty and short-lived? Drake probably has the lowest self-esteem of any rapper, and all he seems to want to talk about are his feelings. People started rioting over this guy?

Thank Me Later starts to pick up midway, but never gathers steam. Even enjoyable tracks like “Up All Night” feature typical lyrics about “all the haters” and how much Drake is above the bickering. Then why is he even paying attention to it? Every musician has critics but few feel the need to call them out on a record. That’s called insecurity.

Alternative hip-hop star Saul Williams once encouraged other MCs to put their weapons away and expose some humanity. Underneath that tough exoskeleton that gangsta rappers present is emotion, depth and philanthropy. But Drake’s raw openness comes across more like watching someone bleed than feel.