M.I.A Helps Troubled Teens

by lkatulka on October 17th, 2007

Brit rapper M.I.A. took time out from her Australian tour to work with girls in a Sydney juvenile detention centre.

“[I was] asked if I’d go there to meet these teenagers in an all-girls juvenile detention centre and help them to make music … teach them. There were around 15 girls, aged from 13 to 20,” she told NME.

The Sri Lankan-born superstar donated her time to the Heaps Decent initiative, a program encouraging indigenous and disadvantaged young people to express themselves through music. Mad Decent and Modular plan to release the music recorded during the program.

“It was them beat-boxing and making noise,” M.I.A added. “We used the doors shutting in the prison; all the random noises they made to make the beat, and then we made sure that all the girls got a go rapping on it and stuff, and they just did their thing. It was really cool.”

Way to go M.I.A! It’s great to hear about a star that’s more interested in being a positive role model than the party-hard celebrity lifestyle.

Image source: Cait Powers @ Flickr