"Born Free" Banned From Youtube

Since the dawn of rock 'n' roll, radio stations, TV networks and even entire countries have sought to silence controversial musicians by making their music and videos less accessible to the public. Billboard cover star M.I.A. recently felt the burn of the censors when her incendiary video inflamed YouTube's gatekeepers. But she's not alone .

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A., is no stranger to censorship. In 2007, her hit single "Paper Planes" was censored by MTV and "Late Night With Dave Letterman" due to its use of gunshots in the rhythm track. (In fact, the song itself is a response to the U.S. government denying her a visa in 2006). So she couldn't have been too surprised when the video for her 2010 single "Born Free" -- which showed red-headed youth being round up and brutally murdered -- was initially rejected by Youtube due to its violent content. Maya was not to worry; fueled by the controversy, the video spread across the Internet like wildfire.