M.I.A. Claims JAY-Z Told Her to Sign 'Ridiculous' Super Bowl Settlement
M.I.A. is putting JAY-Z on blast.
The “Paper Planes” rapper has accused her former Roc Nation manager of suggesting she sign a “ridiculous” contract with the NFL after she threw up the middle finger during Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime performance in 2012.
“If you’re talking about racism and sexism, that moment in my life showed the cracks in everyone I knew,” she told Huck Magazine. “I was at Roc Nation at the time and JAY-Z was managing me. The lawsuit was so ridiculous, it proposed that they would keep one hundred percent of my earnings for the rest of my life if I ever earned more than $2 million dollars. JAY-Z was, like, ‘You should sign that shit’ and I was, like, ‘No.'”
M.I.A. also says that she felt the scandal was unwarranted. “A middle finger, it’s like get a fucking grip,” she continues. “People were like, ‘Oh you’re lucky you’re not in jail, give up all your profit, be this slave for the rest of your life.'” She adds: “Oh god, I hope the NFL doesn’t sue me again for talking about it.”
The singer parted ways with Roc Nation in 2013. At the time, she also called the fallout “ridiculous.” “The NFL thing is completely ridiculous,” she said. “It’s been making me laugh for a while, but now it’s so boring, I don’t even laugh anymore.” She also called it a “massive waste of time and money” and a form of “powerful corporation dick-shaking.”
The Super Bowl scandal is featured in Stephen Loveridge’s documentary, ATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. M.I.A. says the movie is not exactly like the one she would make. “I hate it,” she said. “No, that’s what people want me to say. The first time I saw it at Sundance, I was in shock. The second time I really liked it.” She adds: “Me and Steve have very different ideas of what a good film is.”
Regarding the film’s coverage of the Super Bowl scandal, she says it only shows a glimpse into what that moment was like. “What’s in the film is a very tiny bit of what happened to me in real life,” she added. “It’s quite entertaining for Steve to have made it into this nice little cookie but the reality of that was way worse. A lot of people I feel got off the hook.”