For those still anxious to hear Mathangi Arulpragasam's follow-up to 2010's abrasive, experimental, occasionally awesome // / Y / (or her underrated Vicki Leekx mixtape, for that matter), the wait may soon be over. Before her new album Matangi actually drops, M.I.A. has teamed up with famed French fashion house Kenzo for a nine-minute mix of glitchy beats that span the world, from Middle Eastern rhythms to Indian vocal samples.
Maya herself makes a short appearance on the release to question luxury itself: "Hey is it the sign of the times? / Is it too late to find something money can't buy?" she asks — the irony of that statement is probably not lost on a company responsible for both this mix and $200 T-shirts. Perhaps best, though, is when M.I.A. goes on to rap about the things she values most: "I'm thankful for my hand 'cause it's a good thrower / I'm thankful for my body 'cause it's a fuckin' banger / I'm thankful for my mouth 'cause it's a good spitter / But most of all I'm thankful for my power!" Even on an Internet mixtape, Maya plays ever the revolutionary.
Stream the Matangi mix here.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT