M.I.A.: From 'Paper Planes' to 'full tinfoil hat'

M.I.A. — full name Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam — has always been wild. Rapper, artist, fashion icon, activist, she navigates the world with the same energy that bursts from “Paper Planes” and “Galang.” She’s even irked the NFL — surely you remember her middle finger during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.

On a recent "Zero Hour," James Poulos sat down with Arulpragasam for a conversation that tackles the complexities of life under COVID restrictions, the transformative power of music and technology, and the ongoing spiritual quest amid a tech-dominated era.

'Merging Only Fans with the music industry is where we're at in tech.'

Arulpragasam and Poulos examine many of the pitfalls of modern life, particularly those at the intersection of technology with health.

'Not an analog situation'

She scrutinizes the mental health industry, offering music as a sanctuary for healing. This deep dive into the ramifications of AI and tech culture leads to a poignant reminder to keep humanity and spirituality at the forefront of our rapidly evolving world.

She bemoans the proliferation of powerful devices, recalling that, when she was a teenager, she didn’t even have the internet in her home. “Slowly, slowly,” she tells James, “gadgets got added, but now my own lifestyle as a musician, I'm constantly surrounded by machines and everything is on and all the WiFi is on and everything needs WiFi."

She adds: “So you can't even make music anymore unless you're logged into the programming app, into the microphone app. It's not an analog situation.”

Techie taste

While tech increasingly dominates music, Arulpragasam notes that its leaders are woefully out of touch, content to stick with pornified artists like Cardi B, Ice Spice, and their various clones.

"Merging Only Fans with the music industry is where we're at in tech," she says.

"These techies advising governments [on how] to program AI and to program the technological future ... even they think the avant-garde is exactly the same as the mainstream, and all they want is a sexy female every time," she says.

Faraday fashion

These days, Arulpragasam has shifted her focus to fashion. The “Queen of anti-brand” brings a unique twist to the streetwear with Ohmni, her line of EMF-protective clothing.

Designed to shield against electromagnetic fields, her collection integrates faraday-lining and materials like silver, copper, and nickel to guard against potentially harmful radiation.

While the debate over EMF safety continues, M.I.A. advocates for proactive protection rather than waiting for definitive evidence of harm.

Her line includes everyday garments such as hats and track pants, fashioned from silver-infused fabric that merges functionality with style. M.I.A. emphasizes that her jersey fabric offers the comfort of a regular T-shirt while providing essential protection. Key items, like boxer shorts and track pants, are engineered to safeguard critical areas such as the heart and reproductive organs.

M.I.A. also links the concept of protective clothing to broader themes of privacy and creativity, stressing the necessity of maintaining a personal haven in a tech-saturated world. Inspired by the technology surrounding Julian Assange, particularly a faraday phone case, M.I.A. was motivated to explore protective fashion.

Et tu, Hypebeast?

She also realizes, however, that the production of this specialized fabric poses its own challenges. Currently sourced from China — ironic given its reputation for surveillance — the fabric highlights a paradox: Protective technology is manufactured in a country known for its watchful eye, while it remains elusive in the "land of freedom."

Looking ahead, M.I.A. envisions expanding her brand as awareness of EMF exposure grows. She believes that, with increasing concerns over advanced technologies like 5G and 6G, the demand for protective clothing is expected to rise, marking a new frontier in the intersection of fashion, health, and technology.

On top of it all, she fights the resistance caused by a media that once worshiped her. Hypebeast, who once adored her boldness, accused her of going “full tinfoil hat.” These days, that’s quite the compliment.