M.I.A. shares her views on crypto and new album with CoinDesk

M.I.A., a well-known singer, songwriter, and producer, plans on releasing her new album ‘MATA’, but there’s another good news for NFT collectors. The globally acknowledged entertainer is also planning to release a mixtape, “Vicki Leekx,” which was inspired by the activist Julian Assange’s whistleblower project WikiLeaks, in the form of a non-fungible token. 

Rather than actually converting the entire album into an NFT, M.I.A. is actually converting each song into a digital asset along with a psychedelic GIF of a spinning globe, except “bad girls,” the biggest hit off the album. The first 10 tracks from the mixtape are currently up for auction. Furthermore, a portion of the proceeds from the auction will be given to the Courage Foundation, which offers legal support to whistleblowers.

As previously reported by TheCoinRise, a number of artists are getting into the NFT industry. Recently, Grammy-winner DJ Paul Oakenfold also joined the NFT bandwagon along with Timbaland.

CoinDesk’s interview session with M.I.A. 

CoinDesk, a popular media outlet, discussed the details of the project and how she feels about entering the crypto world. In the interview, the media outlet asked M.I.A. why she chose NFT to re-release “Vicki Leekx.” To this question, the singer behind the major song, “Paper Planes,” replied that she believes that the mixtape is an art. 

“I always saw the “Vicki Leekx” mixtape as a piece of art rather than a piece of music, just because it was very serendipitous, of everything and events that was going on in the world. It basically just happened,” M.I.A. said.

When asked about her views on cryptocurrencies, M.I.A. said that “this is my very new way to dip into this space with music.” The artist also commented on the impact of cryptocurrencies and NFT on the environment, which is a major reason why investors shy away from this industry. 

“The military-industrial complex, the consumption of beef, and the fashion industry are the top three polluters of this planet. So for us to be against NFTs, we also have to be against these things. It’s such a confusing area because it’s, like, shifting your priorities and your values to adjust to the time,” said M.I.A in her statement.