MGK

Machine Gun Kelly’s Return To Rap On EST Gee’s New Album Is Met With Both Love And Confusion

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Before he was an emo-rock pop star (and became sort of cool to hate), Machine Gun Kelly released a string of relatively successful rap albums and was best known as a rapper, even appearing on XXL‘s 2012 Freshman Class cover alongside fellow future stars like Danny Brown, (ahem) Future, French Montana, and Macklemore (as well as Iggy Azaela, Kid Ink, and Hopsin. Not to be a hater, but this might have been the weakest Freshman class ever selected by that esteemed publication). However, he’s received the majority of his career accolades since shifting genres in 2020 with Tickets To My Downfall.

But now, he’s back rapping, thanks to fellow Midwesterner EST Gee’s new album I Never Felt Nun. Guest-starring on “Death Around The Corner,” MGK resurrects his rapid-fire flow to reflect on his father’s death, his commercial success, and the apparent joys of sipping lean. It’s a solid trap song and to be honest, not that far off the mark from the music he used to make prior to 2019.

However, rap fans’ reactions have been… let’s say “mixed” regarding the prodigal son’s return. In the last three years, he’s made quite the spectacle of himself alongside his fiance Megan Fox and with the general short-term memory of social media, it’s likely a lot of folks forgot — or never even knew — that he made rap, to begin with. That short-lived but eventful feud with Eminem couldn’t have helped much, either. He does have a few defenders, though, who were quick to remind their fellow users that he used to get bars off.

If MGK decides to stick to his hip-hop roots for the foreseeable future, though, rap fans might just have to get used to hearing him popping up on more features now that he’s a certified No.1-selling artist — even if he did have to switch his style up. Check out more responses to his collab with EST Gee below.

Machine Gun Kelly Admits To Attempting Suicide While On The Phone With Megan Fox

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Machine Gun Kelly has been a magnet for a lot of negative attention over the years and in his new documentary, Life In Pink, he recalls how it all came to a head, resulting in a suicide attempt that he barely survived.

After his father died in July of 2020, MGK says he fell into a depression, during which he says he locked himself away, sleeping with a shotgun next to his bed. “I couldn’t get closure on it,” he recalls. “I wouldn’t leave my room and I started getting really, really, really dark.”

He says that even his then-budding romance with actress Megan Fox became a stressor. “I called [girlfriend Megan Fox], I was like, ‘You aren’t here for me,’”
he remembers. “I’m freaking out on her and I put the shotgun in my mouth. I’m yelling on the phone and the barrel’s in my mouth. I go to cock the shotgun and the bullet as it comes back up, the shell just gets jammed. Megan’s dead silent.”

The incident prompted Kelly to seek therapy, which he says helped him cope with life in the spotlight and losing his dad. Hopefully, he also made amends with his girlfriend for what was almost certainly a traumatizing experience.

MGK isn’t the only star who struggled with suicidal ideation in recent years. In 2021, Logic’s memoir also touched on the backlash he received from the public on social media, much of it ironically over his hit song “1-800-273-8255” named for the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While the song certainly helped awareness of the issue (calls to the number went up and suicide rates went down), Logic himself nearly gave in under the weight of the negative commentary sent his direction, only reversing course to avoid becoming “a meme about how the Suicide Guy killed himself.” That’s something to think about before you hit “send” on that “funny” tweet or comment you were just typing up.

You can check out Life In Pink streaming now on Hulu.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or contemplating self-harm, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741, or visit Speakingofsuicide.com for additional resources.