What M.I.A. is listening to--her playlist and commentary from the SUnday NY Times

Here it is:
January 30, 2005
PLAYLIST
Reggae Riddims and the Sound of London Grit
By M.I.A.

IN 1986, 10-year-old Maya Arulpragasam and her family fled the civil war in Sri Lanka and settled in England. She learned English about the time she discovered another language: hip-hop, the perfect vernacular for describing life as a refugee in a squalid housing estate in South London. Now 28, she performs as M.I.A., for "Missing in Acton," a nod both to her London borough, Acton, and to the guerrilla spirit of her lyrics. After releasing two singles, the dancehall-inflected "Galang" and "Sunshowers," last year, XL Records will release M.I.A.'s much-anticipated first album, "Arular," in February. This week, she will play benefit shows at the Knitting Factory's Los Angeles (Feb. 3) and New York (Feb. 5) locations to raise money for tsunami relief in Sri Lanka. Joel Topcik recently spoke to Ms. Arulpragasam about what she's listening to right now and why.

'Bad Gal Riddim'

"Dancehall producers come up with a new 'riddim,' or beat track, every week or so, and send it to different artists. Everybody does their own version of the new beat, and it becomes a compilation. 'Bad Gal Riddim' (Madhouse Records) is the newest to come out. It has a little bounce to it. 'Right There,' by Spice and Toi, is the most fun song I've heard all week. When dancehall got big a couple years back, a lot of girls got pushed out. Now they're getting back into it. I'm not even sure it's out yet - I heard it on pirate radio, which is where I get most of my music. The pirate D.J.'s are always six months ahead of everyone else."

Ivy Queen

"I'm a big fan of Ivy Queen. She's probably the biggest reggaeton star. Reggaeton is the sound coming out of Puerto Rico that's really huge in America now. Dancehall is much more stripped down, but reggaeton has a Caribbean sound - steel drums and different tempos. Ivy Queen and the dancehall rapper Sasha did a Spanish reggaeton remix of 'Dat Sexy Body' (VP Records) that represents a kind of unity between dancehall and reggaeton."

Baile Funk

"This is where my mind has been recently. 'Baile funk' ('funk ball') is basically Brazilian kids in the favelas (ghettos) going crazy, screaming the dirtiest lyrics over Clash songs and electronic music that sounds like Kraftwerk. They take Miami bass beats, really basic drum loops, heavy bass - I can only describe it as 'booty music' - and produce something so fierce and angry that reflects the absolute chaos around them. Diplo (half of the Philadelphia D.J.-duo Hollertronix) put out 'Favela on Blast: Rio Baile Funk '04' (available at www.hollertronix.com), a compilation of the best ones he found when he went to Brazil."

Jim Jones, the Diplomats

"Jim Jones has so much charisma and more attitude than most rappers put together. 'Crunk Muzik' (from 'Diplomatic Immunity 2' on Koch Records), with Cam'ron and Juelz Santana, is the best song to come out of the Diplomats crew. Such a powerful beat - and you can't tell what the chorus is, it's like 32 bars long. Rappers are like Rod Stewart now; they're like a bunch of Liberaces with their gold rims. The Diplomats are just a little bit off key from what others are doing. They seem to be experimenting the most, and they have a real fight mentality. It's the guerilla side of hip-hop."

Lethal Bizzle

"I love Lethal Bizzle's 'Forward Riddim Remix' of 'Pow!' (Relentless). It's a grime record that reflects the London streets in the most aggressive way possible. People call grime the new punk - electronic, minimal beats and mad bass lines. The remix makes the 'pow!' lyric from the original into the hook of the song, and it has so much energy. There are like 20 M.C.'s from around London on this track. It's just wicked. I live in a place with Somali refugees, Polish people, a lot of Arabic people, and this song is blaring out of every single car. It's what's empowering them now. It's like when you first hear Public Enemy's 'Fight the Power.' It makes you feel so good when you walk down the street listening to it."

Ce'Cile

"Ce'Cile hasn't had a really big hit yet. But she's strong and consistent, and she's not afraid to experiment. I thought it was brave for her to work with the producer Jacques Lu Cont on 'Na Na Na Na,' from the 'Two Culture Clash' CD (Wall of Sound). It most reflects what I like in a sound. It's minimal - just vocal and beat - with a synth-y drum loop. There are almost no changes at all - when the chorus comes in, Lu Cont just brings in an extra snare and pitches it up and then back down again. It's brilliant. It came out after my first single, 'Galang,' and it was good to know there was something else out there for the kind of music I want to do. If something like this could get on mainstream radio, it would be so great."

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company