Rap

Years before the term “going viral” entered the lexicon, M.I.A.’s thumping, hypnotic debut single become one of the first examples of music sharing on a global scale and the Internet’s staggering power to launch careers.

I wanted to write about my heroes, and I wanted to get it right. And because I get to work for some very cool people at Waxwing, they told me to knock myself out. (Photo: Chad Bakta/New York Times/ Redux)