M.I.A. Dropped From Music Festival After Controversial Comments About Black Lives Matter

M.I.A. is earning a reputation as one of the "bad girls."

The Sri Lankan rapper from the U.K. has been booted from a headlining spot at the Afropunk London festival over controversial comments she made about Black Lives Matter.

Afropunk festival said in a statement on Friday that the decision on M.I.A.'s September performance was "agreed upon by all involved" after discussing it with both her and organizers of the event.

In an April interview with the Evening Standard, the "Bad Girls" singer remarked: "It's interesting that in America the problem you're allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter.”

“It's not a new thing to me — it's what Lauryn Hill was saying in the 1990s, or Public Enemy in the 1980s,” she said. “Is Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That's a more interesting question.”

She received a slew of criticism over the comments when it was announced she would headline the festival back in June.

M.I.A. — whose real name is Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam — seemed to already believe she would back out from headlining at that time.

"Sorry I'm not doin Afropunk. I've been told to stay in my lane," she tweeted on June 20.

Afropunk issued a statement around the same time saying M.I.A was still involved, but it is now clear that she's been kicked her to the curb.

On Thursday, she tweeted "If you ask how I'm doing, I'm doing fine."

A new headliner for the festival will be announced on July 19.

This is the first time the festival will be held in London. It’s been held in Brooklyn annually since 2005.

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