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British musician M.I.A. (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) had released her second album Kala in 2007, which achieved widespread critical acclaim and was certified Gold in the United States and Silver in the United Kingdom. She toured in support of the album under the People Vs. Money Tour banner, during which she composed and recorded some music with her Korg Kaossilator atop the pyramids of Mexico. Tourmate Egyptian Lover stated he was ready to collaborate on her third album.She then collaborated with A. R. Rahman on the soundtrack of the film Slumdog Millionaire, receiving an Oscar nomination for the track "O...Saya", before giving birth to her son Ikyhd in February 2009.
British producer Rusko was one of M.I.A.'s collaborators on the album.
Six months after her son's birth, she began composing and recording her third studio album in Los Angeles, where she had bought a house with partner Ben Bronfman. Collaborators such as Rusko and Blaqstarr moved into the house to write and record songs for the new project, before she mixed the record with them in a rented studio in Hawaii. She collaborated with writer/producer Blaqstarr because "he simply makes good music." Producer Diplo worked on the track "Tell Me Why", but at a studio in Santa Monica rather than at the house. He claimed in an interview that, following the break-up of his personal relationship with M.I.A. some years earlier, he was not allowed to visit the house because "her boyfriend really hates me".
Tracks for the album were whittled down from thirty-hour jam sessions. Producer Rusko, who played guitar and piano on the album, described the pair getting "carried away" in the studio, appreciating the "mad distorted and hectic" sound they were able to create. Rusko stated "She’s got a kid, a little one year old baby, and we recorded his heart beat. We’d just think of crazy ideas”. Rusko has described M.I.A. as the best artist he'd ever worked with, stating "She's been the most creative and I really had a good time making music with her".