Kid Cudi proved that you can’t be a rebel and rage around him after he fired M.I.A. from his “Rebel Ragers Tour.”
Her controversial set in Dallas drew massive backlash from fans who felt her political remarks crossed a line, and that was the final straw for Cudi.
The “Paper Planes” artist took the stage at the Dos Equis Pavilion on May 2 and went into a monologue that got booed hard by the crowd, with her saying things like “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter” and making comments about her song “Illygal” that didn’t land well with the audience.
I WROTE ILLYGAL ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010.
— M.I.A. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026
I STARTED THIS INTRO TO THE SONG WITH THE STATEMENT SAYING I'M ILLYGAL, AND I SAID MY TEAM HASN'T GOTTEN VISAS YET. THEN PLAYED A SONG THAT HAD LYRICS SAYING "FU&% THE LAW", WHICH I STILL BELIEVE, IF THE LAW IS UNJUST F@%& IT.
DO… https://t.co/3xZk2OTBMb
Cudi posted on Instagram explaining that he’d already warned M.I.A.’s team before the tour even started.
“I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood,” he wrote.
After the Dallas performance and the shows that followed, Cudi’s inbox was flooded with upset fans messaging him about what happened on stage.
“After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing, and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase,” Cudi stated in his announcement.
The “Rebel Ragers Tour” kicked off on April 28 in Phoenix and covers 30 North American cities with Big Boi staying on as a co-headliner, along with A-Trak, Me N Ü, and Dot Da Genius opening certain dates.
The tour represents a major commitment for Cudi, and maintaining the right vibe across all dates became essential after what happened in Dallas.
M.I.A.’s track record of controversial takes includes her flirtation with anti-vaccine rhetoric back in 2020 and her 2024 launch of a clothing line designed to block 5G waves on Alex Jones’ Infowars platform, which made her removal feel inevitable to people paying attention.
She fired back with her own fiery statements, defending herself while invoking Jesus Christ.
“Don’t be an agent of division, I can’t vote in the US, and 48% of Latin community voted Trump. So are you going to hate them all? We must unite to make this country, that everyone wants to live in, a better place. If you are easily led by rumour then you don’t see the light for yourself. I pray for your awakening,” she wrote. “Americans supporting either side denying they are both owned by Israel is a whole convo we can’t seem to get to. But carry on.”
Kid Cudi’s decision reflects his well-documented disagreement with political figures close to him, particularly his mentor Kanye West, whom he’s previously said he “totally disagree[s]” with over pro-Trump positions.
The next tour stop is May 5 in Birmingham, Alabama, where the show will continue without the controversial opener.