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Rapper cashes in on conspiracy theories with clothing line [1]

['Jennifer Sandlin']

Date: 2024-06-26  

British rapper M.I.A. joined Alex Jones on Infowars to promote her new line of clothing, "OHMNI." The appearance was highly appropriate, given that the brand's steeped in conspiracy theories about electromagnetic waves, 5G, and more: "The armour of the modern knight in the age of modern technological warfare." As Consequence of Sound describes:

Fittingly, M.I.A. opted to introduce her new clothing line on Alex Jones' conspiracy-theory-centric Infowars, where she also sat for a wide-ranging and bizarre interview. M.I.A. explained to Jones that the clothing line is designed to protect wearers from nanoparticles (she called it "evil dust," though). She also discussed a scrapped album, her supposed "anti-vaxx" views, and being "cancelled" during her appearance on Jones' show.

The clothing items, which include bags, jackets, sweatshirts, pants, and more have names such as "Full Shield Armour Trousers" ($100), "Full Protection Poncho" ($200), "Tin Foil Hat" ($100), "Full Shield Reversible Armour Tee" ($200), and "Data Protection Dump Bag" ($200). The descriptions of each item tout what it's supposedly protecting the wearer from. Here's the description of the Tin Foil Hat, for example:

This reversible Tin Foil Hat features a premium black cotton on one side, and a glistening silver on the other. Made with pure Copper Nickel shielding fabric, this is the Tin Foil hat you have been waiting for. With its unique atomic structure, Copper offers exceptional electrical conductivity, deflecting electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi & 5G with up to 99.999% shielding effectiveness. Our Original Silver Street Shield ® textiles protect you from the numerous risks linked to electromagnetic radiation, restoring your autonomy and freedom, everynow. Handmade.

The Ohmni website contains a manifesto of sorts, which is full of conspiracy buzz words and right-wing dog whistles:

In the time of smart cities, digital crypto, AI, NeuraLink, hackable humans, zero privacy, deepmind, internal body data harvesting, and indiscriminate tracking surveillance, mind data mining, social media overload, augmented reality, social credit system, virtual dystopian mindfield, we bring you the revolutionary future of fashion. OHMNI is your last frontier at preserving your privacy, autonomy, and rights over your body and your data. This is not your artist foray into fashion. This is a necessity. The armour of the modern knight in the age of modern technological warfare. You might think of the war zone as far away from where you are, yet in 2024, even your house is a digital battlefield. OHMNI is designed to be protective, preventative, and precious. Future backwards is R U TUF. If the conspiracy theorists are wrong, good for you, you own some beautiful clothes made with pure silver and precious metals. But, if they are right, you just might have saved the future of humanity. Welcome to OHMNI. I could be a genius I could be a cheat.

Grimy Goods explains that the new clothing line has been met with mixed reviews:

Fans on social media platforms were quick to point out that an artist vehemently against capitalist systems seems to have cashed in ($100 for a silver bucket hat, $400 for a puffer jacket) on selling people expensive tin-foil hats. Others saw it as an extension of controversial anti-vax claims M.I.A. — and 5g related conspiracies — made during the COVID pandemic or made connections to her vocal ministration of Christian mysticism. Replying to a commenter who asked if the clothing might diminish the effect of a vaccine, she replied, "the clothes block signals. It can work inside out and outward in."

This is all performance art, right? Does M.I.A. really believe in all of this? Or is she like all of the other conspirituality grifters, seeking to cash in on the growing conspiracy theory market? She says right at the end of the OHMNI mission statement, "I could be a genius I could be a cheat."

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