Arular : M.I.A. : Review : Rolling Stone

You've never heard anything like M.I.A. -- the sound of jump-rope rhymes in a war zone. She blew out of the London electro underground last year with her indie debut single, "Galang." M.I.A. chants the hook "London calling/Speak the slang now" while she plays with her cheapskate beatbox and amps up her minimal buzzes and bleeps into monstrously cool explosions. It sounds like Bow Wow Wow shooting bottle rockets into a vintage Ms. Pac-Man machine to scare the quarters out. M.I.A.'s long-awaited full-length debut, Arular, is every bit as stunning as "Galang": weird, playful, unclassifiable, sexy, brilliantly addictive.

M.I.A. is Maya Arulpragasam, 28, a Sri Lankan artist who grew up in London after her family was forced to flee her nation's civil war. She wrote the songs for Arular on her trusty Roland MC-505 Groovebox, with producers such as Steve Mackey, Ross Orton and Richard X. There's nothing purist about her, as she hot-wires bhangra beats, dancehall toasting, Miami bass and old-school electro. In killer tracks such as "Fire Fire" and "Amazon," she raps about political troubles, war and refugee life, in her own tough no-big-deal way. "Sunshowers" noises up an old 1970s disco hit with excellent rhymes ("I salt and pepper my mango/Shoot spit out the window"). Even when you have no idea what she's saying, you have to love how M.I.A. plays bongos on her lingo: "Blaze to blaze, galang galang galanga/Purple haze, galang galang galanga!" Join in the chant.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: Feb 24, 2005)

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Review 1 of 2

5of 5 Stars

this is some sweet music right here. it kinda reminds me of a female sean paul or somebody. only wit beats so outta this world u cant help but wanna keep listenin 2 all the songs. i didnt really see anything wrong with any of the songs. its not like how some songs on an album are structured, unlike some, these actually fit together no matter what order you put em in. its amazin to hear somethin this refreshin for once in a lifetime. if it were in stores id buy it, but i see its not. and m.i.a.'s website appears to have been shut down. (?)

Sep 27, 2006 14:03:31

Review 2 of 2

5of 5 Stars

Rolling Stone sums it up very concisely: "You've never heard anything like M.I.A." While other hip-hop artists are busy bragging about growing up in the ghetto, how much sex they get, or just how pimped-out their ride is, M.I.A. earns her street cred by rapping about bombs, explosions, and a real fight for survival. Maya Arulpragasam's childhood in Sri Lanka has obvious influences on her music, and most songs on Arular deal with the topic of war. What is most enjoyable about Arular is its amazing ability to serve as both ear candy and a wake up call. Key tracks, such as "Amazon", "Fire, Fire", and "Hombre" focus on different points of interest in the mind of M.I.A., while the best song of all, "Galang", ties everything together in a three-and-a-half minute autobiography. Whether you purchase the album to be inspired or to dance like crazy, be prepared to find more than you expect.

Feb 2, 2006 20:09:03

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