As much as I love MIA’s music, explaining her politics has been one continuous migraine. Especially since I live in hipsterland, and all the kool kids wanted to know if I was related to a “freedom fighter” too when she first made a splash with Arular. She’s toned down the LTTE rhetoric recently and, heaven help me, I’m still a huge fan…but there’s a new Sri Lankan kid on the scene, and he’s determined to inject another perspective into the fray and take her down a peg or two.

“All she wanna do is [bang][bang][bang] and [ka-ching!] take your money” he raps over MIA’s “Paper Planes” instrumental while images of the aftermath of LTTE suicide bombs flash across the screen. (The images are as gruesome as one would expect, so please consider this a disclaimer.)

The video was released less than a week ago, and keeps getting yanked off YouTube by Universal Music Group (MIA’s record label). Go to CeylonRecords to see it if the embedded video above has been disabled.

Meet Delon Jayasingha. Biodata are thin on the ground, but it looks like he’s from L.A. (born there?) and going by his last name, clearly has a Sinhala Sri Lankan dad. He’s coined a new genre named “Salsa Hip-Hop” that sounds exactly as described - hiphop rhymes over salsa rhythms. Check out the link to see a video from his album, The Connection.

His original songs don’t grab me quite the way MIA’s do, but it’s pretty fantastic to have two Sri Lankans out there making ripples. And yeah, I still do think that MIA’s a musical phenomenon. The song is catchy, however you cut it. In terms of her SL politics, however, she’s an opportunist at worst and terribly naive at best. Can’t wait to see how this plays out!

Update: MIA responds:

“I don’t support terrorism and never have,” she wrote in a statement. “As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee. Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion.”

Zing! Does this mean she’s the “establishment” Sri Lankan pop musician now? Reading her statement is pretty amusing since her first album was named for her father’s rebel code name, and she faced accusations of self-promotion herself. For now it appears that the music snobosphere finds her far more exciting than Delon’s derivative output. [Snark meant to encompass this post as well!] But it’s possible that people who dislike MIA’s hard beats (“it sounds like crushing cans!!”-overheard comment) might be exactly the type to gravitate to DeLon’s suburban pimpin’ ways. Hey, even Ja Rule had a heyday.

And even I can get on the MIA train and “self-promote”, dammit! The Pitchfork link references an old Robert Christgau article which in turn referenced my comments on a nerdy music site. I’m the half-n-half in the “heartrending roller coaster of a political debate.” There are so few Sri Lankans talking about the situation there that anyone gets noticed. Even dumbasses with bad handles. And that’s all due to MIA showing up and forcing her way to the forefront of an insular scene with talent, Elastica connections and an exotic backstory. As irritating as Delon the person might be (I’ve watched his other youtube videos since the original post. Smug, much?) now he’s out there talking about Sri Lanka too. And maybe somehow we’ll get to point when people understand there are no sides, just greed and corruption.

Then again, I’d also like a stable full of unicorns, but Mr. C says it ain’t happening.

Thanks to Sonali in NO for the tip!