M.I.A. To Move To Canada?

BY Cam LindsayPublished May 28, 2008

Last year M.I.A. revealed to Exclaim! she was once considering relocating to Canada, because, y'know, our doors are open to let just about anyone into in our country. "I was nearly going to move to Canada," she said. "I was going to do some gigs in Canada along the border, because I couldn’t get into the U.S. to do gigs. I was thinking I’d just move to Toronto and play shows in Niagara Falls."

Well, it appears her one-time plan has resurfaced, according to Jam! Showbiz. The rapper/singer/producer born Maythangi Arulpragasam is set to ditch her New York apartment in June when her one-year U.S. work visa expires and she returns from a North American tour. "I figured I might as well do a few more shows in America before I may not be allowed back in or ever get a chance to come back again," she told Jam! "It's nice to tour around America and do every gig like it's your last gig."

And while she originally mentioned Toronto, it appears Montreal is now her first choice - that is if she doesn't go back home to London, England. "I might have to move to Canada," she continued. "I'm thinking of moving to Montreal in June when I leave my apartment. Basically at the moment I can choose between Montreal and London. My mum's like, 'I want you here!' I haven't seen her in, like, forever, so I have to choose between my mum and Montreal."

Montreal, London or maybe become Mrs. Kanye West and stay in the U.S. WTF? "I was at his show four days ago and he was like, 'You have to make this song with me,' " M.I.A. added. "I turned him down for the last album [Graduation] so he's really pissed off about it. [But] I think he'll marry me to keep me in the country. He was really dead serious about it."

Maya also elaborated on her fashion line, which we first reported on at the beginning of the month. "I have it on at the moment," she said of her clothing. "I made loads of stuff and at the moment there are boxes of it in my mum's living room which I have to get out of there. I think the label thing is going to be really good. It's the thing I'm most excited about, just making limited editions of clothes that come out whenever I make something.

"It's not like a proper label, like how J. Lo or Jay-Z does it with Rocawear. It's something a lot more underground." M.I.A. is currently in Canada, and will have a chance to check out some digs when she hits Montreal on June 3. Here are the rest of her Canadian dates:

5/28 Calgary AB, McEwan Hall
5/30 Winnipeg MB, Burton Cummings Theatre
6/2 Toronto ON, Sound Academy
6/3 Montreal QC, Metropolis

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