M.I.A. Accuses Grammys of Cribbing From Her Show

Rapper claims that music kudofest stole her laser-light idea and other visual cues for its tribute to Bob Marley

By Alexis L. Loinaz Feb 21, 2013 1:35 PMTags
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Did the Grammys steal more than just viewers' rapt attention?

M.I.A. certainly thinks so: The firecracker rapper is accusing the kudofest of ripping ideas and visual cues from her own show for its recent onstage tribute to Bob Marley.

And she's going on the offensive. On Wednesday, the singer tweeted that she'll start "keeping a steal log" and ribbed the costs of mounting each production, writing, "MIA $500 : GRAMMYS $5000000."

She also included a link to her Tumblr page, where she posted side-by-side screenshots of her stage show and the Grammys' Marley tribute, which featured performances by Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Sting and the late reggae icon's sons, Damian Marley and Ziggy Marley.

"My ideas came from my life," she wrote of her laser-centric stage set teeming with strong geometric shapes. "My set was based on Tamil Hindu temple. Not Bob Marley."

She also exhorted her fans to check out her concerts to suss things out for themselves. "If u wanna see the real thing or get it first come to a M.I.A. show!" she railed.

What do you think? Did the Grammys crib from M.I.A.'s show or is it much ado about nothing? Sound off in the comments below!

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