M.I.A.

Hailing from Sri Lanka via London, M.I.A. is Maya Arulpragasam. April 18th sees the arrival of her eagerly awaited debut album, 'Arular' - one of the most politicised party albums you're likely to hear. M.I.A.'s lauded mixtape (co-produced with Diplo), 'Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol.1', of late last year best hinted that 'Arular' was going to be quite an event. The good news is that, with its immediacy, originality and sheer audacity, it's nothing short of essential listening. In just forty minutes, M.I.A. has produced an unparalleled mongrel mix of hip-hop, ragga, dancehall, electro and, dare we say, punk. Delivered in her spitting, scattergun style, topics like teenage prostitution, poverty, war and consumerism all play off each other against a devastating backdrop of dislocated beats and pounding basslines. 'Arular' has unwittingly provided a much-needed shot in the arm for dance music.

lady sovereign, missy elliott, the streets