There are five known artists under this name:

1. Mathangi “Maya” Ar… Read Full Bio ↴There are five known artists under this name:

1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. “M.I.A.” [“Missing In Action”] references both her London neighborhood (Acton) and her politically tumultuous youth.

Her style contains elements of hip-hop, reggae, alternative, dance hall, electro and baile funk and is strongly inspired by her Sri Lankan background.

2. American Punk/Hardcore band formed in Orange County, CA in 1981 by Chris Moon, drums; Mike Conley, bass; Nick Adams, guitar (all previously of Las Vegas, NV punk band The Swell); and Art Carasco, vocals. Their sound was generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums. Allmusic called the band "one of the 50 best So-Cal punk bands of the great early-'80s second wave explosion. In 1984 they signed a deal with the cult Alternative Tentacles label, after the label's founder, Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, saw them play at a secret illegal punk nightclub in Las Vegas. Biafra was impressed by Mike Conley's distinctive voice, saying "The minute you hear a song with him singing you know it's him." They released the album Murder in a Foreign Place on Alternative Tentacles in 1984, followed in 1985 by Notes From the Underground on National Trust Records, and in 1987 by After the Fact on Flipside Records. The band split up in 1988. In 2001, Alternative Tentacles released Lost Boys, a 37-song retrospective of the band's work, including Last Rites, Murder in a Foreign Place, and several additional tracks. On February 28, 2008 vocalist Mike Conley was found dead in a Chicago hotel parking lot. Conley was taken to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, where he was pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m. On April 27, 2008, there was a secret warm-up show at Detroit Bar featuring Todd Sampson of Self Abuse and Samson's Army on vocals, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys on guest vocals, Chris Moon and Larry Pearson on drums, Nick Adams on guitar, and Bob Thomson on bass. The next day, the "Beautiful Noise" benefit show took place at the Anaheim House of Blues with Jigsaw, Naked Soul, Cadillac Tramps, Social Distortion and MIA with the same lineup as the previous night, but adding Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds on guest vocals. The proceeds of "Beautiful Noise" went to Mike Conley's family.

(3) Formed in the mid 70s, Independent Musicians Associated (MIA) was a group of musicians, technicians and drawers gathered together by Lito and Liliana Vitale’s parents. They produced their own records and concerts in an independent way. Their music is a complex symphonic rock with definite Argentinean/latin folk influence with multiple chorals and vocals beautifully contrasting with the keyboards and a great guitar sound upon a strong rhythmic section. They were highly influenced by symphonic music, more noteworthy by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant and Focus.

4. Merriweathers is a member of Underground Resistance under the alias of The Unknown Soldier.

5. mia's page (Michaela Grobelny).

Hussel
M.I.A. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[M.I.A.:]
We do it cheap, hide our money in a heap
Send it home and make 'em study fixing teeth
I got a family, a friend in need
A hand to throw the gasoline
A mobile phone hooked up to the scene
Hello, my friend, yes it's me
Don't be scared there's somethin goin on

I'm getting money since I grown
Could be dash, go out and hustle 'em
But I hate money coz it makes me numb

Hustle hustle hustle
Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?

Hustle hustle hustle
Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?

[Afrikan Boy:]
You think it's tough now, come to Africa
You think it's tough now, come to Africa

Out there, we are grinding like pepper
You can catch me on the motorway,
Selling sugar, water and pepper
I rep Africa not Miami,
hustle hustle with M.I.A.
I'm broke, I've got indefinite stay,
You can't touch me like leprosy,
I hustle tough from here to Sri Lanka,
My mum told me to be an accountant,
But I wanna work in a corner shop,
Contact Sugu, he?s got the contacts, mayne
I?m illegal, I don?t pay tax tax
EMA yes I?m claiming that that
Police, I try to avoid them
They catch me hustling, they say deport them

[M.I.A.:]
Hustle hustle hustle
Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?

Hustle hustle hustle
Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?
Afican boy ya know I'm big in Mozambique
Hello, my friend, yes it's me

Hello, my friend
Hello, my friend
Yes it's me
4 by 3, 3 by 3
Buy one song, get one free
Maybe me, a bootleg CD, colour TV or DVD
We got barrels in the sea
It's big enough to take a whole family
We drum on it
Jun cha cha gegujun cha
Jun cha cha gegujun cha

Come sit by me, let me tell you, we
Don't do bling but we do white tee
Up some jungle, up some tree
One second, my phone's ringing
It's my friend Habibi
He then went drop called me
Cheap Moroccan got no credit than me
Y'all got less credit than me
I keep that tab at a shop like a G
Coz without me there'll be no chocolate hershey

Hustle hustle hustle
Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?

Hustle hustle hustle

Grind grind grind
Why has everyone got hustle on their mind? [6x]

Overall Meaning

M.I.A.'s song Hussel is an energetic representation of the daily grind of hustle culture around the globe. The song features M.I.A. and Afrikan Boy, both from immigrant families, reflecting on the pressures and realities of making a living through hustle. In the song, the duo touches upon themes such as immigration, poverty, illegal activities, and the absence of opportunities.

M.I.A's verse informs listeners about the cheap ways some people earn money, hide it in a heap, and use it to support themselves and their families back home. She emphasizes the tough hustle culture by mentioning her dislike for money, how it numbs her. Meanwhile, Afrikan Boy's verse reflects on the African hustle culture, where grinding for one's survival is often a daily reality. With lyrics such as "You can catch me on the motorway, selling sugar, water, and pepper," he speaks to the ingenuity of African hustlers who make a living from what may seem like insignificant things.

The chorus is an ode to the hustle culture's prevalence across the globe. M.I.A. and Afrikan Boy ask, "Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?" The chorus acts as a reflection of the pressures many people worldwide feel about the need to hustle to survive.

Line by Line Meaning

We do it cheap, hide our money in a heap
We accomplish our tasks with minimal expense, and then collect our earnings in a large pile.

Send it home and make 'em study fixing teeth
We send our earnings back home, where it's used to pay for education in the field of dentistry.

I got a family, a friend in need
I have family and friends who require financial assistance.

A hand to throw the gasoline
I have the means to ignite a flame of action.

A mobile phone hooked up to the scene
I am equipped with a cellular device connected to the current situation.

Hello, my friend, yes it's me
Greetings, my acquaintance, it is I.

Don't be scared there's somethin goin on
Do not worry, something is happening behind the scenes.

I'm getting money since I grown
I am earning money now that I have matured.

Could be dash, go out and hustle 'em
I could disappear quickly, going out to aggressively pursue financial gain.

But I hate money coz it makes me numb
However, I detest money because it dulls my senses.

You think it's tough now, come to Africa
You believe your situation is challenging, visit Africa to see real hardship.

Out there, we are grinding like pepper
Over there, we are working hard, like the process of grinding pepper.

You can catch me on the motorway, Selling sugar, water and pepper
You may locate me on the highway, selling sugar, water, and pepper.

I rep Africa not Miami, hustle hustle with M.I.A.
I represent Africa, not Miami; I work vigorously with M.I.A.

I'm broke, I've got indefinite stay, You can't touch me like leprosy
I am poverty-stricken and possess no concrete immigration status; furthermore, you can't come close to me for fear of infection like leprosy.

I hustle tough from here to Sri Lanka, My mum told me to be an accountant, But I wanna work in a corner shop, Contact Sugu, he?s got the contacts, mayne
I am a tenacious worker, traveling from my current position to Sri Lanka; my mother suggests I should work in accounting, but I'd prefer to work in a small store. Contact Sugu for assistance, as he has the connections needed to succeed.

I?m illegal, I don?t pay tax tax EMA yes I?m claiming that that Police, I try to avoid them They catch me hustling, they say deport them
I am living in this country illegally, and do not pay taxes. However, I am entitled to an educational maintenance allowance. I do my best to avoid the police, who will deport me if they observe me working hard.

Afican boy ya know I'm big in Mozambique
African boy, you should know that my popularity extends to Mozambique.

4 by 3, 3 by 3 Buy one song, get one free
Four by three or three by three, buy one song and receive another free of charge.

Maybe me, a bootleg CD, colour TV or DVD We got barrels in the sea It's big enough to take a whole family We drum on it
I might have a counterfeit CD or DVD, possibly even a color television. We keep these items in large containers in the sea, containers large enough to house entire households, and we use the containers for musical purposes.

Jun cha cha gegujun cha Jun cha cha gegujun cha
Lyrics of a rhythmic melody.

Come sit by me, let me tell you, we Don't do bling but we do white tee
Join me, listen closely; we do not purchase flashy, expensive jewelry, but we do invest in plain white t-shirts.

Up some jungle, up some tree One second, my phone's ringing It's my friend Habibi He then went drop called me Cheap Moroccan got no credit than me Y'all got less credit than me I keep that tab at a shop like a G Coz without me there'll be no chocolate hershey
Traversing through dense vegetation, my phone rings, and Habibi is the caller. After a moment of small talk, Habibi terminates the call. I have more financial credit than an inexpensive Moroccan mobile network. I obtain credit like a gangster at a store. Otherwise, Hershey chocolate would not exist without my work ethic.

Hustle hustle hustle Grind grind grind Why has everyone got hustle on their mind?
An expression of confusion over the ubiquitous preoccupation with working hard to make money.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: THOMAS WESLEY PENTZ, MATHANGI ARULPRAGASAM, DAVID JAMES ANDREW TAYLOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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