M.I.A. Calls Out Adele for Being Beyoncé’s Lap Dog: Is Adele Too Afraid to Speak?

Even Beyoncé needs saving, you know—just like the rest of us. She needs forgiveness and freedom, too. This isn’t about tearing her down, but recognizing that even she operates within a system that often traps people. She’s another person who needs to break free from the idea that this is the only path to greatness for a Black artist.

M.I.A. has been speaking out about this lately, criticizing Beyoncé for being part of an industry machine that, according to her, oppresses people and fellow artists. Her comments have sparked fresh debate about the Carters, with many arguing that, when it comes to Beyoncé and Jay-Z, artists are left with only two choices: play along or step aside.

M.I.A. has also alleged that Adele is one of the many artists who’ve been forced to “bow down.” In a recent statement, she revealed, “I met Jay-Z and signed to Roc Nation. The first thing he told me to do was get plastic surgery. I’m not insecure, or I would’ve done it. People make it, they all turn around, and thank Beyoncé because that’s it. Enough is enough. I’m everyone now.”

She even claimed that Adele might not have the career she does today if M.I.A. hadn’t introduced Jonathan Dickens to management. “When Adele gets an award, she thanks Beyoncé. I didn’t want to drip myself in blood,” M.I.A. added.

A few days ago, M.I.A. went on another social media rant, this time calling out Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s $200 million home purchase in 2023. She said, “I’m in a town where the most expensive house is owned by a Black woman, Beyoncé, because she capitalized on this level of ignorance. Without people like me clearing things up, this machine wouldn’t keep paying out. That’s why Beyoncé has a $200 million house.”

This isn’t the first time M.I.A. has taken aim at Beyoncé. She recently expressed her disgust at how artists like Adele seemingly have to thank Beyoncé to maintain their standing in the industry.

And let’s be honest—M.I.A. does have a point. Beyoncé has been showered with praise by countless artists over the years. Remember when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs to declare, “Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time”?

Kanye himself had a close bond with the Carters at one point, especially Jay-Z. He even wrote “Big Brother” on his Graduation album as a tribute to Jay and later teamed up with him for Watch the Throne and its global tour. But things went south over the years.

Kanye was hurt when Jay-Z and Beyoncé skipped his wedding to Kim Kardashian. “I was hurt about them not coming to the wedding. I understand they were going through some things, but if it’s family, you don’t miss a wedding,” Kanye said in an interview.

Their friendship soured even more when Jay-Z didn’t check on Kanye’s family after Kim was robbed in Paris. During his Saint Pablo Tour, Kanye vented to the crowd, saying, “Don’t call me after the robbery and ask how I’m feeling. Come by the house. Bring the kids. Let’s sit down. We’re brothers.”

Kanye also accused the Carters of manipulating the industry to ensure Beyoncé stayed on top. He claimed MTV told him Beyoncé would win for “Formation” over his “Famous” video, despite his frustrations.

Incidents like this have led many to believe that artists are afraid to challenge Beyoncé. When they win awards, it’s almost like they feel forced to praise her. Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and others have all given her shoutouts during their acceptance speeches.

Take Adele, for example. In 2017, she broke her Grammy in half and dedicated it to Beyoncé, saying, “Beyoncé deserved this award for Lemonade. She’s an inspiration and a light to so many performers.” Some think Adele might have been nervous about angering Beyoncé or her fiercely loyal Beyhive. Despite being the artist with the most Grammys of all time, Beyoncé still hasn’t won Album of the Year, something Jay-Z pointed out during his own Grammy speech: “By your own metrics, that doesn’t work.”

But not everyone is on board with all the praise. MIA, for one, isn’t a fan of how artists constantly kiss up to Beyoncé. She especially called out Adele for her Grammy speech. MIA has been outspoken about not wanting to be controlled by the Carters, and she’s had her own share of struggles with them.

For some context, MIA shares a son with her ex, Benjamin Bronfman, whose billionaire father, Edgar Bronfman, is connected to Seagram Spirits and Warner Music Group. The exact reason for their split isn’t fully known, but MIA has claimed the Bronfman family used their influence to keep her from seeing her son, even suggesting that Jay-Z played a role in this.

MIA has since deleted tweets where she detailed her struggles to get a U.S. visa to visit her son, but she once shared a post saying, “BIDEN WON’T LET ME SEE MY CHILD.” She vented about how long the visa process was taking and added that her custody battle was tied to her outspoken views on the Middle East. She said, “I called for a ceasefire and spoke out against genocide and ethnic cleansing,” and that she had to choose between seeing her son and standing up for what she believed in.

MIA also took aim at the fact her son was being raised by a family with some dark connections, including ties to the NXIVM cult, which involved some of Bronfman’s relatives.

On top of all that, MIA accused Jay-Z of making her life even harder. She says that when she was managed by Roc Nation back in 2013, Jay-Z was allegedly paid by the Bronfman family to complicate her life. MIA claimed her album Matangi was buried that year, and she believes she was shadow-banned across platforms. In her own words, “I sacrificed my career for my child. They ripped me off, copied my style, and gave it to their puppets.”

MIA went on to say that after she was served papers, Roc Nation cut off all communication with her. She claimed all her emails to Jay-Z asking for help were deleted, and she even accused him of being involved in a break-in at her house, where her laptop was stolen. She also said that, due to legal issues, she was trapped in Brooklyn for 15 years, unable to leave.
MIA found herself in a heated legal battle with the NFL after flipping the bird during a performance, leading to a lawsuit. At one point, the NFL demanded $16 million in damages, but the matter was eventually settled behind closed doors.

In 2018, MIA reflected on the whole ordeal, sharing some behind-the-scenes details about her time with Roc Nation and Jay-Z. She explained to Huck Magazine how Jay-Z had pushed her to sign a deal that would’ve left her broke for life. According to MIA, the deal proposed that Jay-Z would take 100% of her earnings forever if she ever made more than $2 million. “Jay-Z was like, ‘You should sign that ish,’ and I was like, ‘No,’” she said.

Recently, MIA revealed even more unsettling details about her time at Roc Nation. She claimed that Jay-Z suggested she get plastic surgery because she “wasn’t pretty enough.” She didn’t stop there, also alleging that Jay-Z was a Satanist and that she refused to participate in bizarre rituals, like blood sacrifices, to sell more records.

MIA didn’t hold back when it came to criticizing other artists either, particularly Adele. She called out Adele for being too eager to thank Beyoncé, saying that it’s part of a larger trend of artists who bend over backward to praise the Carters. “When I met Jay-Z and I signed to Roc Nation, the first thing he told me to do was get plastic surgery,” MIA said. “I’m not insecure, because if I was, I would’ve gotten it. People make it, and then they all turn around and thank Beyoncé because that’s it. Enough is enough.”

MIA also took a shot at Adele, claiming that her career wouldn’t have taken off without Jonathan Dickens as her manager. “When Adele gets an award, she thanks Beyoncé. I didn’t want to drip myself in blood, swim in black goop, or wear devil horns to sell a record. F* that,” she added.

In another interview with Jaguar Wright, MIA said that the Carters tried to destroy her career, but unlike many others, she wasn’t afraid to speak out about it.

Some critics argue that MIA seems obsessed with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Do you think MIA has a point, or is she overreacting? Are artists like Adele too afraid to speak their minds about the Carters? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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