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Machine Gun Kelly has opened up about the health scare he faced after undergoing his dramatic blackout tattoo transformation.
The 36-year-old rapper told Billboard Canada on June 8 that he became "really sick" after pushing through the extensive tattooing process in just two months, despite his artist ROXX advising it should take two years.
"She warned me that it was going to be near impossible, even from a pain tolerance standpoint," he recalled. "I said, 'Yeah, we got two months.'"
MGK explained that after the first week of sessions, his body began to react. "We hit my lymph nodes around my armpits and shoulders, and I got really sick. My skin was turning yellow. I wasn't able to sleep. I stopped being able to move certain parts of my upper body," he said.
The blackout tattoo, which covers most of his chest and arms, was meant to symbolize a new chapter. He first revealed the look in 2024, captioning his Instagram post, "for spiritual purposes only."
He later referenced the decision in his track Don't Let Me Go, rapping, "I had a breakdown and tatted my entire body except one line."
MGK admitted the transformation left him feeling unrecognizable. "I saw death and drugs in all these patterns that I was literally writing on my body. There were happy tattoos, sad tattoos, holy tattoos, hellish tattoos. It was like my bipolarity was screaming off my skin," he explained.
Despite the toll on his health, MGK said the experience ultimately inspired him. "I came out the other side extremely inspired. Not just because of what I had done, but because of what I had to overcome," he shared.
The artist, who is father to daughters Casie, 16, with ex Emma Cannon, and Saga, 15 months, with ex Megan Fox, said he wanted a change that went beyond music.
MGK has continued to add to his ink collection, recently tattooing his daughter Saga's name on his hand. While the blackout tattoo was one of the most grueling experiences of his life, he said the pain was worth the emotional clarity it brought.
