M.I.A. Officially More Influential Than Prince, Lil Wayne, or Kanye West

Congratulations to M.I.A. for making Time's list of the 100 most influential people in 2009, two years after her last record, and three months after being nominated for her first Grammy. Spike Jonze, in his adulatory but perceptive ("She reacts to whatever's in front of her: 'Those are booming Indian drums,' 'That is a dope producer,' 'Those kids are making sick beats.'") essay on the artist, calls her a "child of Chuck D and the Pixies and Fight Club and MySpace." Add Sri Lanka (the current plight of which M.I.A. does not fail to mention in the accompanying hagiographic video) and Jean-Michel Basquiat and that list is just about right. A good day for the right person.