Yesterday we posted M.I.A.'s new official video for "Paper Planes." The song, off the Sri-Lankan born rapper's latest album Kala, has been met with controversy due to its gunshot refrain and use of terms like "murder" and "bongs." The video also premiered on MTV's TRL yesterday, however not in its uncensored original format. The gunshot refrain was replaced with the sound of banging metal and the gun cocking that followed the gun shots was edited with an extra cash register chime. The words "murder" and "bong" are dubbed out completely, and an extra overlap of M.I.A.'s voice can be heard playing throughout the song.MTV censored M.I.A. "Paper Planes" video:Official uncensored video for M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes":M.I.A. is none too happy about this. She lashed out on her "MySpace Blog":http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=2225872&blogID=338717484 at the censored version, that she never approved or even knew existed. She also explains that she never wanted the gunshots to be synonymous with the US, where the video was shot. She had originally planned on filming the video in Equador. This isn't, however, the first time M.I.A. has been censored on live TV. Back in TK during a performance on the Late Show With David Letterman, M.I.A. was also overdubbed and had the gunshot refrain switched on her last minute.M.I.A. performing "Paper Planes" on LettermanM.I.A.'s rebuttal to censored "Paper Planes" video:LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE HATERS OUT THERE, I DEAL WITH IT EVERYDAY THATS NO FUCKING BIG DEAL AND IVE DEALT WITH WORSE IN MY LIFE, A FEW PEOPLE TALKING SHIT DONT MATTER TO ME, BUT TWISTING TRUTH ISNT THE LESSON I WANNA LEARN IN MY TIME IN MUSIC, SO WHO EVER THAT IS DOING IT , I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT1, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE VIDEO IN A FACTORY ON THE BORDER OFEQUADOR, BUT COULDNT. I WAS TOURING THE U.S, I COULDA BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT THEN BUT THERE I WAS IN AMERICA, IN NYC, IN BROOKLYN, IN BEDSTUY , I WAS TORN BETWEEN SCRAPIN SHOWS IN AMERICA AND MEETING AMERICAN FANS OR SHOOTING IN NYC ON MY ONLY DAY OFF I’D HAD IN 4 MONTHS AND GETTING ON WITH IT.2, SO THAT WAS THAT! I NEVER MADE A VIDEO IN AMERICA AND HEY ITS STILL A PART OF WHAT I DO AND SAY, ITS WAS STILL VALID, SO I WAS READY TO ROLL WITH IT.3, YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE SONG SOUNDS, THATS WHY WHEN U GO ON YOUTUBE 400, 000 PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LISTEN THE SONG AS IT IS AND STARE AT SOME PICTURE THEN TO ACTUALLY WATCH A VIDEO4, WHEN LETTERMAN CENSORD ME IT WAS WAC OF COURSE!!!!!! , AND YES I FELT SOOOOOO BAD FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MY SOUND. I WAS ABEL TO SOUND CHECK FOR THAT SHOW AND THEY LET ME SOUND CHECK FINE, THEN ON THE ACTUAL TAPING MY SOUND WAS SOOO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ID AGREED, AS SOON AS I OPENED MY MOUTH THE DIFFERENCE BLEW ME AWAY, I FELT I WAS GETTING BULLIED ON NATIONAL TELEVISON, AND I COULDNT EVEN REACH OUT TO MY LABELS OR MY MANAGEMENT TO HELP, SINCE THEY ARE NEW TO WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTIST LIKE ME IN MAINSTEAM AMERICAN CULTURE.SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESSWHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????THE VIDEO WAS SABOTAGED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IM DISAPPOINTED THAT MTV HAS HAD SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS. THE BLOGGERS WHO ARE LAZY ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE MTV LINK AND POST UP AND COMMENT ON THE SOUND WHEN THAT HASNT BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE GUNSHOT ARENT REPLACED AND EDITED MAKES ME SAD. I DID FIGHT FOR THE SOUND , BECAUSE PUTTING MEANINGS IN YOUR VIDEOS, IN MY OPINION IS A DYING ART. I CAN FILM MY SELF ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND LET YOU KNOW THE TRUTH , BUT THE SONG IS WHAT I WANTED TO PRESERVE IN THIS CASE.TO ALL MY FANS, LOOK, ITS LIKE THIS,IM LEARNING THINGS ABOUT THIS WORLD WITH YOU, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME , I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WILL SIT AND SPEND ALL SUNDAY TEARIN ME DOWN FOR SOMETHING I DIDNT EVEN MAKE OR PUT OUT, SO PEOPLE WELCOME TO MODERN DAY PROPAGANDA MESSAGE MANGLING.IN 2007, AN OUTSIDER OPINION WILL BE CONFRONTED THIS WAY , AND THIS IS HOW THE BATTLE GOES, MY MESSAGES AND IDEAS AND MEANING WILL ALWAYS BE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH SLIGHTLY TAINTED CHANNELS. IF YOU SUPPORT ME BE SMART, AND KNOW THAT.I LOVE YOU, U KEEP ME GOING.XXXXXXMAYAThe question arises: Who is right? The artist whose creativity is being censored or the people censoring the glamorization of shooting off guns? Already on YouTube the poignancy of the gunshots is apparent with other videos of guns firing with M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" playing in the background, as well as people mimicking the shooting of a gun in their own version of an "official dance" to the song. "Paper Planes and How to Field Strip an AK47":http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBwuLdBRgDwHas this happened in 50 Cent's videos or those by other rappers?
SamTheButcher says
Pretty weak. The substitute sound isn't all that different from gunshots, IMO, but it's weak compared to the real song.
Reminds me of "Six Gun" from the Colors soundtrack.
sommer face says
Of course that would happen. It's okay for MTV to show over-sexed/underessed idiots, but heaven forbid there are gunshots or the word "bong" uttered.
Marco1019 says
MTV still plays music videos? I thought their schedule only consisted of scripted reality programming.
Maya is learning firsthand about MTV - Music Television _they_ control.
Sturgell says
I knew yesterday after watching the video that there would be some fallout for the gunshots. It's a shame how her work is being trifled with, but if you want to be in the mainstream that's the price you gotta pay.
dj ivi says
why is it ok for Jay-Z and Nas and whoever to use gunshots but not M.I.A.? Also, why is this an issue now, when the song was released months ago? She performed it all over the world this summer, and no one seemed to have a problem with it then....
This is the dumbest case of censoring I have ever heard.
Yesterday we posted M.I.A.'s new official video for "Paper Planes." The song, off the Sri-Lankan born rapper's latest album Kala, has been met with controversy due to its gunshot refrain and use of terms like "murder" and "bongs." The video also premiered on MTV's TRL yesterday, however not in its uncensored original format. The gunshot refrain was replaced with the sound of banging metal and the gun cocking that followed the gun shots was edited with an extra cash register chime. The words "murder" and "bong" are dubbed out completely, and an extra overlap of M.I.A.'s voice can be heard playing throughout the song.MTV censored M.I.A. "Paper Planes" video:Official uncensored video for M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes":M.I.A. is none too happy about this. She lashed out on her "MySpace Blog":http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=2225872&blogID=338717484 at the censored version, that she never approved or even knew existed. She also explains that she never wanted the gunshots to be synonymous with the US, where the video was shot. She had originally planned on filming the video in Equador. This isn't, however, the first time M.I.A. has been censored on live TV. Back in TK during a performance on the Late Show With David Letterman, M.I.A. was also overdubbed and had the gunshot refrain switched on her last minute.M.I.A. performing "Paper Planes" on LettermanM.I.A.'s rebuttal to censored "Paper Planes" video:LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE HATERS OUT THERE, I DEAL WITH IT EVERYDAY THATS NO FUCKING BIG DEAL AND IVE DEALT WITH WORSE IN MY LIFE, A FEW PEOPLE TALKING SHIT DONT MATTER TO ME, BUT TWISTING TRUTH ISNT THE LESSON I WANNA LEARN IN MY TIME IN MUSIC, SO WHO EVER THAT IS DOING IT , I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT1, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE VIDEO IN A FACTORY ON THE BORDER OFEQUADOR, BUT COULDNT. I WAS TOURING THE U.S, I COULDA BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT THEN BUT THERE I WAS IN AMERICA, IN NYC, IN BROOKLYN, IN BEDSTUY , I WAS TORN BETWEEN SCRAPIN SHOWS IN AMERICA AND MEETING AMERICAN FANS OR SHOOTING IN NYC ON MY ONLY DAY OFF I’D HAD IN 4 MONTHS AND GETTING ON WITH IT.2, SO THAT WAS THAT! I NEVER MADE A VIDEO IN AMERICA AND HEY ITS STILL A PART OF WHAT I DO AND SAY, ITS WAS STILL VALID, SO I WAS READY TO ROLL WITH IT.3, YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE SONG SOUNDS, THATS WHY WHEN U GO ON YOUTUBE 400, 000 PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LISTEN THE SONG AS IT IS AND STARE AT SOME PICTURE THEN TO ACTUALLY WATCH A VIDEO4, WHEN LETTERMAN CENSORD ME IT WAS WAC OF COURSE!!!!!! , AND YES I FELT SOOOOOO BAD FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MY SOUND. I WAS ABEL TO SOUND CHECK FOR THAT SHOW AND THEY LET ME SOUND CHECK FINE, THEN ON THE ACTUAL TAPING MY SOUND WAS SOOO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ID AGREED, AS SOON AS I OPENED MY MOUTH THE DIFFERENCE BLEW ME AWAY, I FELT I WAS GETTING BULLIED ON NATIONAL TELEVISON, AND I COULDNT EVEN REACH OUT TO MY LABELS OR MY MANAGEMENT TO HELP, SINCE THEY ARE NEW TO WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTIST LIKE ME IN MAINSTEAM AMERICAN CULTURE.SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESSWHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????THE VIDEO WAS SABOTAGED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IM DISAPPOINTED THAT MTV HAS HAD SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS. THE BLOGGERS WHO ARE LAZY ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE MTV LINK AND POST UP AND COMMENT ON THE SOUND WHEN THAT HASNT BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE GUNSHOT ARENT REPLACED AND EDITED MAKES ME SAD. I DID FIGHT FOR THE SOUND , BECAUSE PUTTING MEANINGS IN YOUR VIDEOS, IN MY OPINION IS A DYING ART. I CAN FILM MY SELF ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND LET YOU KNOW THE TRUTH , BUT THE SONG IS WHAT I WANTED TO PRESERVE IN THIS CASE.TO ALL MY FANS, LOOK, ITS LIKE THIS,IM LEARNING THINGS ABOUT THIS WORLD WITH YOU, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME , I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WILL SIT AND SPEND ALL SUNDAY TEARIN ME DOWN FOR SOMETHING I DIDNT EVEN MAKE OR PUT OUT, SO PEOPLE WELCOME TO MODERN DAY PROPAGANDA MESSAGE MANGLING.IN 2007, AN OUTSIDER OPINION WILL BE CONFRONTED THIS WAY , AND THIS IS HOW THE BATTLE GOES, MY MESSAGES AND IDEAS AND MEANING WILL ALWAYS BE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH SLIGHTLY TAINTED CHANNELS. IF YOU SUPPORT ME BE SMART, AND KNOW THAT.I LOVE YOU, U KEEP ME GOING.XXXXXXMAYAThe question arises: Who is right? The artist whose creativity is being censored or the people censoring the glamorization of shooting off guns? Already on YouTube the poignancy of the gunshots is apparent with other videos of guns firing with M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" playing in the background, as well as people mimicking the shooting of a gun in their own version of an "official dance" to the song. "Paper Planes and How to Field Strip an AK47":http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBwuLdBRgDwHas this happened in 50 Cent's videos or those by other rappers?
Locating MOG account...
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