10 Machine Gun Kelly tattoos decoded as the musician debuts new blackout body art covering his upper torso
Machine Gun Kelly surprised fans on Tuesday when he unveiled his dramatic new body art.
The 33-year-old Bloody Valentine hitmaker – real name Colson Baker – talso take to Instagram to introduce a blackout tattoo that covers his entire upper body.
The black ink envelops the Ohio native’s torso, while a few of his original tattoos are still visible through the holes along his arms and in the cross symbol etched on his chest.
As fans’ concerns mount, the rapper and rock singer, who is engaged to Megan Fox, released an emotionally charged new song on Wednesday titled Don’t Let Me Go, hinting that he had had a ‘breakdown’ before being inked.
The artist sings, “I wish I wasn’t listening, just like I wish they’d understand me someday / I had a breakdown and tatted my whole body but one line / Everything’s fine.”
His tattoo artist, Roxx, told TMZ that MGK’s existing tattoos no longer resonated with his current mindset, calling them “chaotic” — but what do some of them mean?
Machine Gun Kelly sent shockwaves among fans on Tuesday when he unveiled his dramatic new body art – but what do the rest of his tattoos mean?
1. MGK
PPerhaps the most striking of Kelly’s tattoos is the large MGK piece sprawled across his upper back in an ombre pink and blue color.
The rapper and singer has never shared any insight into this specific ink, but it is clear that it symbolizes his stage name, Machine Gun Kelly.
Perhaps the most striking of Kelly’s tattoos is the large “MGK” piece sprawled across his upper back in an ombre pink and blue color
2. Anarchy symbol
Another of MGK’s most notable tattoos is the Anarchy “A” symbol in the center of his stomach.
He chose the design because it is a ‘very powerful statement’ about social reform.
However, the rock star revealed that his team wasn’t too happy with the piece.
He told TheDrop.fm in 2013: ‘Everyone was like, “No man! No way, man. You’re already kind of blacklisted in the industry, and you’re going to put that on your body. Now no corporate sponsors are going to fuck with you.”‘
He added: “I just got anarchy because it is a very strong statement about social reform. There are no damn rules. There is no code. You can’t tell me how to live my life. This is my own individuality and I wear it with pride.’
One of MGK’s most noticeable tattoos is the Anarchy ‘A’ symbol in the center of his stomach. He chose the design because it is a ‘very powerful statement’ about social reform
3. XXX
A second prominent AOn Kelly’s abdomen – and just above his crotch – is a red XXX sign, just below the words Almost Famous.
The design, to put it bluntly, serves as a warning to anyone thinking about getting intimate with the star.
He told TheDrop.fm: ‘It gives girls a fair warning of what they’re getting into. Some bad things are about to happen.”
4. 1984-inspired bell tower
On his upper left arm, MGK had a tattoo of a clock tower with one eye looking out, as an ode to George Orwell’s dystopian science fiction novel 1984.
The clock tower represents Big Brother looking down on tattooed silhouettes of a crowd of people below.
He said: ‘It’s the idea that Big Brother is watching you, and down here you see all the people rebelling against it. There are people here holding bats and stuff. And I am with the people. Keep your hands out of my pockets. I got this when I was 19.”
On his upper left arm, MGK has a tattoo of a clock tower with one eye looking outward as an ode to George Orwell’s 1984 dystopian science fiction novel
5. Salvador Dali artwork
More than half of Kelly’s back is covered in a rendition of artist Salvador Dali’s piece, “The Temptation of Saint Anthony,” which took about 50 to 60 hours to complete.
The colorful piece includes the golden cup of lust, a parade of elephants – one of which carries a naked woman – and the figure of St. Anthony kneeling in the lower left corner of the desert landscape while the sky above is shrouded in fiery clouds. .
Although the interpretation of the classic painting is quite subjective, Kelly believes it marks the repentance of sins and making amends before it is too late.
6. Hotel Diablo
In honor of his 2019 studio album of the same name, Kelly got the title “Hotel Diablo” inked in a dotted rectangular box on the back of his head.
Kelly got the title “Hotel Diablo” inked in a dotted rectangular box on the back of his head in honor of his 2019 studio album of the same name
7. Banksy ‘I Want Change’ artwork
Beneath his left ribcage, a famous Banksy artwork is etched onto Kelly’s skin, depicting a homeless man holding up a sign that reads: “Save your coins, I want change.”
told MGK TheDrop.fm: ‘That’s a Banksy piece, and I think it’s a bloody brilliant pun. People don’t always understand that. Don’t know.’
Beneath his left ribcage, a famous Banksy artwork is etched onto Kelly’s skin, depicting a homeless man holding up a sign that reads: “Save your coins, I want to change.”
8. Good and bad female figures
MGK has two tattoos of opposing female figures on either side of his shoulders, one of which looks gentle and virtuous, draped in a calming blue dress, while the other has green skin, exciting hair and a sinister smile.
Kelly explained, “I only have two views on women. Some are the damn devil, and some are angels coming to help you.”
He added: “But it was only now that I realized that not all women are bad. NSome of the most beautiful people in my life are women.”
MGK has two tattoos of opposing female figures on either side of his shoulders
9. Locals only
One of the few tattoos still visible on Kelly’s now blacked-out upper body is the vibrant red phrase “LOCALS ONLY.”
The rapper and singer explained that the words are a tribute to his upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio, and the types of people he may resonate with more.
He said, ‘”Locals Only” means we only fuck with thorough assholes. If you come from where I’m from, and that doesn’t have to mean literally, it just happens that the people I work with are Cleveland type sh**, it’s not about the regional life.
“But if you come from where I come from, mentally and demographically, then I will fuck you. If you’re that kid who puts all those negative things aside and just puts them on the positives, then I’m with you.”
“You’re one of those people I’m willing to embrace. I don’t embrace the outside. That’s what that is.’
One of the few tattoos still visible on Kelly’s now blacked-out torso is the vibrant red phrase “LOCALS ONLY,” which pays tribute to his upbringing in Cleveland.
10. Red double-decker London bus
In 2013, MGK was hit by a double-decker bus while crossing the street in Manchester, England.
To commemorate the experience, he had a red London vehicle – the most distinctive of English buses – tattooed on his side.
To commemorate the experience of being hit by a bus in England, MGK had a red London vehicle – the most distinctive of English buses – tattooed on its side
The inking of the accident scene was complete with broken windows, a stick figure to represent himself and the date of the unfortunate event: 5/14/2013.
He told GQ in 2019: ‘I make the one mistake every foreigner makes: crossing the street and looking the wrong way.’
‘This double-decker bus hit me so hard. My face was the first to be hit. All I remember is waking up and everyone screaming. I go to the hospital and there’s nothing wrong.’