A mainstream British rapper is happy to share her Christian faith regardless if it means she loses fans or not. 

M.I.A., born Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, recently talked to Zane Lowe on Apple Music and shared how in 2017 she had a vision of Jesus Christ that changed her life. 

The singer/rapper was born in London, U.K. to Sri Lankan Tamil parents. However, after her vision of Jesus, M.I.A decided to become a born-again Christian. 

"Since then, my head has been in a totally different place. Being a Tamil and being a Hindu, I was very comfortable that I’d arrived finding myself. Which is, I think, going to be weird for America to process," she said to Lowe of her divine vision. "But I had a vision and I saw the vision of Jesus Christ."

She is known for her hit song 'Paper Planes' and her latest single is 'The One.'

"It’s very creatively a crazy thing because it turned my world upside down," she says. "Because everything I thought and believed was no longer the case. And I think that was maybe a sign that something major was going to happen in the world and that people were needing to be introduced to this concept."


The Connections podcast: real life, real faith


"I’m not going to lie. Then when I had this vision, it turned my world upside down. I kind of couldn’t let go of the Tamil side. I’m still me. That’s still my language. And those are still my tools to be able to create beats like that or a sound like that. But I think the message was just to get to a peaceful place. Watch the space. The history is, even if it costs me my career, I won’t lie. I will tell the truth, and I will tell you what’s on my mind and my heart."

M.I.A attested that her faith is more important than her fame or music career, saying she knows it may cost her fans to profess the name of Jesus. 

"If I’m coming back now saying ‘Jesus is real,’ there’s a point. Basically, all of my fans might turn against me because they are all progressives who hate people that believe in Jesus Christ in this country."

Her new album is set to be released later this year, called MATA.