Paste Magazine — It's a tale all too common in the hip-hop world today: a rapper claiming retirement. We've been there with Jay-Z. We idly sat by while M.I.A. said she was bowing out for good (this before the explosion of "Paper Planes"). Now it might be Lupe ... more info

3hive — The opening track on Skew's debut album is a bit of an understatement. Stadiums are more than just OK. Stadiums are where things first got skewed for Skew. I'm assuming as much. At six, a young Skew got turned onto the rock 'n' roll at an Iron Maiden... more info

3hive — The opening track on Skew's debut album is a bit of an understatement. Stadiums are more than just OK. Stadiums are where things first got skewed for Skew. I'm assuming as much. At six, a young Skew got turned onto the rock 'n' roll at an Iron Maiden... more info

Pitchfork — In what's become an annual holiday tradition, the folks at France's Lacoste invite a non-designer to mock up a spin on the company's iconic polo shirt (you know, with the crocodile). This year, R.E.M. frontguy Michael Stipe became the third to take o... more info

Stereogum — It tends to be a pretty good time when The Smoking Gun unearths these rocker tour riders. Mostly because we get to laugh at musicians' uncensored, exorbitant, diva-like demands and feel pretty good that we're nowhere near that silly as we wash down ... more info

Altsounds — …A distinctive new 19 year old sensation set to burst onto the UK music scene in the New Year. Signed by Nick Huggett, the A&R behind the likes of Adele, M.I.A. & Dizzee Rascal and managed by Hillary Shaw who also manages Girls Alou... more info

Altsounds — …A distinctive new 19 year old sensation set to burst onto the UK music scene in the New Year. Signed by Nick Huggett, the A&R behind the likes of Adele, M.I.A. & Dizzee Rascal and managed by Hillary Shaw who also manages Girls Alou... more info

Paste Magazine — M.I.A. 's latest music video, a low-budget collaboration with Blaqstarr , begins with the Genesis-inspired lyrics of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole." The first shot, all in black and white, is a close-up of Blaqstarr's face. He sings, "When you... more info

Rolling Stone — Photo: Getty (M.I.A.) Retna (Bush) Kate Bush vs. M.I.A., “Dreaming of Boys” [Mashup] Pop’s original weird woman gets cut up and pasted alongside pop’s latest weird woman for a mashup that should the lunatic in anyone. Greg Laswell, “Girls J... more info

Radio Exile — Told you she wouldn’t be gone for long. Just when we were getting all bummed that we weren’t going to hear from M.I.A. [Official Site, MySpace] for a bit, she went and teamed up with Blaqstarr to create this amazing take off Tom Waits‘ “Way ... more info