A few months ago, it seemed like Machine Gun Kelly (real name Colson Baker) was toying with the idea of changing his performing name. Now, he has gone ahead and done it.
As E! News notes, as of February 29, the artist’s profiles on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and YouTube all now say “mgk,” stylized in lower-case letters, and not “Machine Gun Kelly.” His social media handles on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram are still @machinegunkelly at the moment, but his X name has been changed to “mgk,” while his Instagram name is currently “colson xx blonde don.”
Kelly hasn’t publicly explained the reason behind the name change. As aforementioned, though, the seed seems to have been planted a few months ago. In November 2023, MGK gave an interview at an F1 race and asked photographers to refer to him as just “Machine,” saying, “Instead of Machine Gun, can you just hit me with Machine next time?”
This follows comedians Chad & JT attending one of MGK’s concerts wielding a sign asking the performer to change his name, a stunt that caught MGK’s attention. The pair then explained (jokingly) that they felt his name encouraged machine guns.
At this point, though, we don’t know much about the reason behind MGK’s name change. That said, it’s a natural shift, since “MGK” was already a widely used nickname for him.
Drake is currently traversing the country — with J. Cole in tow — on the latest leg of his It’s All A Blur Tour. Saturday’s show (February 24) brought the “You Broke My Heart” rapper to Cleveland, where he was joined onstage by surprise guests and hometown heroes Doe Boy and MGK. Drake and MGK last shared a stage in 2011, when Drake brought him out at the Cleveland show of his Club Paradise Tour. It looks like the more things change, the more they stay the same. Check out the video and see the remaining tour dates below.
Drake’s It’s All A Blur — Big As The What? Tour Dates
2/27 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
2/28 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
3/2 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
3/3 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
3/5 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
3/6 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
3/7 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
3/10 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
3/14 – San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
3/15 – San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
3/18 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
3/19 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
3/23 – Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~
3/24 – Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~
3/27 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at The BJCC ~
4/4 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~
4/5 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~
4/8 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum ~
4/15 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
4/16 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
Cleveland rapper and singer mgk has forayed more into the realms of emo, pop punk, and alternative rock over the last couple of years. He was formerly recognized as a pure rapper, but he wanted to explore his options elsewhere. It paid dividends for him as mgk’s new style has spawned a handful of successful records like Tickets To My Downfall. However, with this new single “dont let me go,” he is rapping atop a piano-laced instrumental.
This emotional backdrop sets the tone early for the personal content of the song. “dont let me go” is also mgk’s first single of the year. While the track still has elements of his stint in the genres we mentioned, this is more of a continuation of the multi-talent’s journey back to his hip-hop roots. You can check out the music video that accompanies “dont let me go” below.
On this cut, mgk is being as honest as ever with himself about his mental struggles and rough upbringing. The visuals are also a nice touch as it shows some shots of him in front of downtown Cleveland’s skyline. According to HipHopDX, he also makes a reference to his new controversial tattoo, saying, “I had a breakdown and tatted my entire body except one line.” Overall, fans are enjoying this emotional moment for mgk, applauding his willingness to share all of this information.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new single, “dont let me go,” by mgk? Is this his most vulnerable song he has ever put out? Where do you rank this amongst the rest of his best tracks? Do you like that he went back to rap on this song, why or why not? Is an album in the works? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding mgk. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.
Quotable Lyrics:
No one was there to hear what I thought My heart was broken like my ribs as a kid When me and my father fought (Yeah) I’m medicating with something that I cannot pronounce But it’s what the doctor gave me Rehab patient, with a pen and some paper (Mm)
When the fair rolls into town, it is supposed to signify a wave of family and fun times. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Megan Fox. As the actress attempted to enjoy her evening out with her fiancée Machine Gun Kelly, an angry bystander had other plans.
As the “Emo Girl” rapper and his lady stepped off of an attraction at the Orange County fair, he was involved in a tussle with this individual. In the midst of the heated interaction, Fox was accidentally slammed into a barricade fencing off the ride’s entrance and exit points. Pop Crave’s video uploaded to Twitter shows that after realizing that his partner is caught in the mix, MGK quietly grabbed her to bring her to safety.
Megan Fox gets slammed into a barricade after a visitor tried to attack Machine Gun Kelly at O.C. Fair. pic.twitter.com/moRGwAMu4g
The clip captured by a fan alleges that the fan physically assaulted MGK, which led to the exchange. Fortunately, based on the footage, neither Machine Gun Kelly nor Megan Fox was seriously injured. The couple did have a security guard present to intervene before the alleged fight got out of control.
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were reportedly on a break from their relationship, but it appears that they are working towards rekindling their romance.
Machine Gun Kelly has branded himself as a bad boy. The rockstar/rapper was performing Saturday, July 1st, in Belgium at the Rock Werchter Festival when a fan had a bizarre request. He was holding a sign that said, “I JUST CAME FROM MEXICO 4 U 2 PUNCH ME IN THE FACE.” That’s right: the fan was looking to get punched in the face by Machine Gun Kelly. In the video posted to Twitter, MGK finds the fan’s sign and starts to comment on it.
“Why do you want me to punch you in the face so bad?” MGK asks the fan. The man responds, “I love you!” Kelly continues to try to reason with the man: “I got rings on, dude. That sh*t’s gonna hurt.” He calls it a lose-lose situation for him but that he’ll consider it. Later in the video, MGK approaches the fan with the sign, shows the proof to the camera, and then proceeds to clock him right on the jaw.
While in the middle of Machine’s song “my ex’s best friend (with blackbear),” he went ahead and granted the fan’s request. Immediately following the punch, the fan gave the rocker a double thumbs up. MGK turned and threw an arm out to the fan, saying, “I love you.” The fans appreciated Machine Gun Kelly and all that he stands for, but sometimes they have some odd requests.
In other MGK news, he went to Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan Runway Show with his daughter, Casie Baker. They were wearing all-black outfits for the occasion. He has been on tour in Europe for a minute, with his daughter joining him for the summer fun. Machine Gun Kelly performed in France for the annual Hellfest, posting a bunch of pics from the event and his time in Paris back in June. He has 11 shows left in his European stint, after which he’ll switch over to North American and South American concerts.
The romance between actress Megan Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly was been in rough waters for some time now. Despite announcing their engagement in January, the couple has been distant since at least March. An “intense” fight at the Super Bowl led to time apart and cryptic social media posts that appeared to accuse MGK of infidelity.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 27: (L-R) Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly attend the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, which was broadcast live on FOX on May 27, 2021. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
According to a source who spoke with PEOPLE, the couple is reportedly in the midst of reconciling. However, the individual did note that “he’s [MGK] totally in the dog house still.” Continuing, they spoke on what the rapper is doing to win his fiancee back. “He’s doing whatever he can to get her back, and she’s making him work for it. It’s still an unhealthy dynamic though, and their friends just don’t see this lasting.”
The main issue appears to be Fox’s attitude to whatever MGK did to derail the relationship in the first place. “She’s having a hard time trusting him,” the source confided to PEOPLE. However, MGK is persistent. “He has a lot of proving himself to do, and he doesn’t want to give her up. He is great with her kids and super hands on. It’s a work in progress,” Despite this, it remains to be seen if the couple can truly reconcile. After all, trust is like glass – once broken, it is not easily fixed. Do you think they will work through this? Or is the couple destined to go their separate ways? Let us know in the comments.
Machine Gun Kelly and Jack Harlow are currently involved in beef after Harlow proclaimed he was the “hardest white boy” since Eminem on the song “They Don’t Love It” from his new album Jackman. Machine Gun Kelly responded to this lyric in a diss track titled “Renegade Freestyle.” The freestyle features the same instrumental from Jay-Z’s song “Renegade,” which famously includes one of the best Eminem features ever. While it is still uncertain if Harlow will respond to MGK, the one-sided beef is in full swing between these two. Here’s a look at the events preceding the feud and the reasons behind this particular beef.
MGK’s Beef With Eminem
While Jack Harlow’s recent album sparked the current beef, its issues date back to 2018 when MGK engaged in a feud with Eminem. Problems between the two began in 2012 when MGK tweeted that Eminem’s daughter Hailie was “hot as f*ck.” Eminem rapped about this in his song “Not Alike,” in which he called MGK a “Lil’ non-threatenin’ blond fairy cornball.” After this, Machine Gun Kelly responded with a diss track titled “Rap Devil.”
At the time, many fans were impressed with “Rap Devil” and believed MGK may have possibly gotten one up on Eminem. However, Em responded with his own diss track, “Killshot,” which left fans divided. While public opinion favors Eminem as the winner of this beef, some rappers publicly stated that MGK won. Both The Game and Young Thug publicly stated that they felt Machine Gun Kelly was the winner. While the true winner is still up for debate, it is tough for anyone even to go track-for-track with Eminem. Because of this, MGK probably believed he proved himself to be the “hardest white boy” since Eminem, and with good reason.
Despite being entrenched in a rap beef only a year prior, Machine Gun Kelly made a stark transition into the pop-rock genre following his beef with Eminem. While MGK still rapped on his 2019 project Hotel Diablo, the album featured many pop-rock elements he would eventually transition towards. Despite the popular success of MGK’s beef with Eminem, his career as a rapper was steadily declining at the time. While his debut album Lace Up was certified gold, his next two albums failed to sell over 100,000 copies.
However, Kelly greatly succeeded in the pop-rock genre and revitalized his career. His first real album under the genre, Tickets to My Downfall, was certified Platinum and debuted atop the US Billboard 200. In addition to this, MGK also began dating actress Megan Fox in May of 2020, which only furthered his prominence in the mainstream. Since 2020, MGK has fully embraced the pop-rock sound, and it seemed that he had all but left his rap career behind. This shift in genres made his response to Jack Harlow even more shocking, as many fans do not even currently classify Kelly as a rapper. However, MGK felt he had to rap once again to retake his place as the best white rapper since Eminem.
Jack Harlow’s “They Don’t Love It”
Jack Harlow made his name in the Hip-Hop world through radio-friendly hit songs that were both commercially successful and also pushed the rapper away from many Hip-Hop fans. However, Harlow sought to prove himself to the rap world on his most recent album as he delivered more honest, thought-provoking content over classic sample-based instrumentals. While Harlow proved himself to many on Jackman, it is also easy to understand why many people would take offense to his declaration of being the “hardest white boy” since Eminem. This line sparked much debate online, as fans noted white rappers such as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Action Bronson, and others had achieved much more than Harlow in the Hip-Hop universe.
However, Machine Gun Kelly appears to be the one who took the most offense to this line, which is surprising considering his decision to abandon Hip-Hop to make rock music. Kelly’s involvement in this beef with Jack Harlow seems to stem from his beef with Eminem, as MGK obviously feels he proved himself because of their feud. Kelly also showed his willingness to rap again recently, as he released a cypher with Cordae titled “Doja Freestyle.”
Kelly responded to Jack Harlow with the aforementioned track “Renegade Freestyle.” On the song, Kelly rapped, “I see why they call you Jackman, you jacked man’s whole swag.” This line is about similarities between Jack Harlow and Drake, as MGK also declared that Harlow stole Drake’s flow. While “Renegade Freestyle” has made headlines, Harlow has yet to respond, and as of right now, this feels like a one-sided beef. Harlow may have no interest in entertaining MGK, as the latter has all but taken himself out of the Hip-Hop world recently. However, only time will tell what happens next. Harlow may feel obliged to respond, or he might take MGK’s track as a publicity stunt. Shots have been fired regardless of what happens next, and anything is possible.
The NFL Draft wasn’t the only thing going down in Kansas City on Friday night. The city also played host to the first-ever Kelce Jam, a music and food festival hosted by Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. The festival featured food trucks, events, and live music. Kelce is a two-time NFL champion, coming off his second earlier this year. He was drafted in the third round of the 2013 Draft and has spent his whole career with Kansas City. He is currently considering the best tight end in the NFL and one of the greatest to ever play the position.
It had been a pretty wild couple of days for the Kelce Brothers. While Travis was drinking beers off the Super Bowl trophy, his brother Jason was chugging Buds with Eagles fans at the draft. It’s great to see the two brothers, who faced off in the Super Bowl this year, blowing off steam in the offseason. However, Travis had managed to secure some big-name talent for his festival. And arguably, they were bigger names than the NFL was able to get.
First up was Machine Gun Kelly. It’s been a rough couple of days for MGK, as fans speculate on another split from Megan Fox. This comes after Fox reportedly no-showed MGK’s birthday. However, MGK showed up and put out as he and Kelce belted out a rendition of The Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right”. After Kelce lifted MGK off the ground in a bear hug, the two performed an encore of “Fight For Your Right”.
Then came Rick Ross. You might be thinking that Rick Ross also performed music but you be wrong. Instead, Rick Ross was there to adjudicate a wing-eating challenge. This relates to Ross owning a Wingstop franchise location. The contest pitted two Chiefs fans against each other. A man named Hayden Gillum was victorious after eating 19 wings in the 90-second time limit. Overall, Kelce’s festival provided a truly wild night for all in attendance. One could even make the argument that it successfully overshadowed the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft.
Things aren’t looking good for the future of Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly‘s romance. The pair’s relationship has reportedly been hanging by a thread in recent weeks, and according to a new report, they’ve officially decided to press pause on their wedding planning. It was back in January 2022 when the rapper popped the question to the actress with an elaborate proposal. The couple confirmed their relationship in 2020 after working together on MGK’s music video. They’ve fawned over one another at every chance, but things recently hit a snag.
“Megan and MGK are currently on a break but are still in contact. They are very hot and cold,” a source told Us Weekly. “They have stalled wedding planning to work on their issues. Their relationship is pretty volatile at the moment. They are currently off, but still texting each other.” Fox and MGK have often faced breakup rumors, but they were seemingly confirmed following a reported argument ahead of this year’s Super Bowl.
MGK & Megan Fox Fight
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman on February 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
It’s unclear what was at the center of the row, but it was said to have been intense. Fox and MGK reportedly attended a Super Bowl party together, and the rap-rocker was scheduled to perform at another. However, their purported fight caused Fox to high-tail it home on the first flight back. “Megan and MGK had a big fight in Arizona,” another source revealed to the outlet. “She was supposed to go to his performance at the Sports Illustrated party, but they had a fight. She canceled plans and flew out Saturday evening.”
Super Bowl weekend was also when Megan Fox returned to Instagram with an enigmatic post that referenced a line from Beyoncé’s hit record, Lemonade. “You can taste the dishonesty / It’s all over your breath,” she wrote. Soon, gossip spread about the Mainstream Sellout singer cheating on the starlet. His bass player was even named, but Fox stepped in to deny the musician was involved. “There has been no third party interference in this relationship of any kind.”
Trying Therapy
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 27: Megan Fox and Colson Baker “Machine Gun Kelly” attend “Machine Gun Kelly’s Life In Pink” premiere on June 27, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
There was also news about MGK and Fox attending couple’s therapy to resolve their issues. Since the rumors about a split have emerged, Kelly hasn’t spoken about his relationship. This unconventional romance—which included MGK giving Fox an engagement ring with thorns that will literally hurt her if she tries to take it off—has raised eyebrows. However, the pair seemed happily in love. We’re sure this will all be included on an album in the future.
