Machine Gun Kelly has become somewhat a cause célèbre in recent months. The rapper-turned-pop-punker has proved to be a polarising figure amongst the music scene.
Last month, MGK declare war on Slipknot after a tirade at Riot Fest in Chicago. Midway through his set, the rapper made a slew of barbed comments directed towards the masked metallers, who were playing a competing set on a neighboring stage.
“Hey, you want to know what I’m really happy that I’m not doing? Being 50 years old wearing a fucking weird mask on a fucking stage, talking shit,” Machine Gun Kelly said.
The comments were traced back to a snarky remark Corey Taylor made in his interview with Cutter’s Rockcast back in February. The interview saw Taylor lament the state of rock music, taking a stab at MGK’s genre-hopping.
“I hate all new rock for the most part. Well, the ‘artists’ who failed in one genre and decided to go rock — I think he knows who he is. But that’s another story.”
The tension between the artists stems from a failed collaboration poised for MGK’s 2020, Travis Barker-produced album, Tickets to My Downfall.
In the aftermath, Machine Gun Kelly felt the wrath of heavy metal and rock fans alike — tyrannized at his live shows, with bottles and boos.
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So how do fellow musicians feel about MGK dipping his toes in the rock realm? We took to Twitter for a vibe report.
There were some staunch proponents for the pop-punk pivot:
So @machinegunkelly is going to make pop punk mainstream again and I’m all for it.
— David Pait (@SparksTheDave) August 5, 2020
.@TravisBarker on @MachineGunKelly’s transition from rap to pop punk: https://t.co/WHqF6EoCxd pic.twitter.com/KZw3gERJ3r
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) July 15, 2021
Embarrassed to admit it, but the new Machine Gun Kelly album is actually a solid pop punk guilty pleasure for me this year, so here’s the tribute it probably doesn’t deserve: Machine Gun Telly. pic.twitter.com/DzaHI87CZb
— Andy Warren (@andyiwarren) December 7, 2020
Tickets to my downfall is my favorite album of 2020. At least @machinegunkelly blessed us during this shit year
— Justin Stone (@JustinStone) October 23, 2020
~ there’s only 3 things u should be listening to rn, stfu, tickets to my downfall & mood. the end. game ovr ~
— phem (@phem4evr) September 30, 2020
no one thought MGK was about to drop the best pop punk record of 2020
— (@makeoutscott) September 12, 2020
New MGK track is actually quality pop punk.
— Kevin Jordan (@KevinTWL) August 6, 2020
Okay never mind the new MGK is def low key fire we just big mad he wouldn’t let us make it a 240 bpm punk slapper
— Handguns (@Handxguns) December 27, 2019
Tickets to my downfall is my favorite album of 2020. At least @machinegunkelly blessed us during this shit year
— Justin Stone (@JustinStone) October 23, 2020
Others were a little more on the fence:
Ok . Opinion Time
MGK is a sick Hip Hop / Rap artist and has put pop punk back on the map again , but whoever says his album is good or amazing— Jamey bowerman (@jamey_byam) October 12, 2020
I really fuck with this whole pop rock/pop punk revival thing but yo…can y’all at least make shit that sounds new and isn’t just a rehash? MGK did the rehash right, and imo there’s not room for more of it. Give me some ORIGINAL sounding shit that is inspired by the OG shit
— (@CloserToMitch) June 29, 2021
Probably for publicity but MGK making fun of slipknot for their age and masks is probably the most predictable thing to happen this year. Sick pop punk album tho. Which genre will he lazily imitate next!
— Möth (@SocialRepose) September 21, 2021
…. And then there were the fervent critics
“MGK is the best pop punk artist out there rn”
— Tyler Young (@makeouttyler) October 15, 2021
dear MGK i don’t wear my doc martens on tour because it wastes time taking them off to pee when i’m sleeping on the bench in the van on the night drive from denver to salt lake, i know i’m very comfortable but please can i still have my rock card from a multimillionaire rapper
— craig reynolds (@reynlord) December 15, 2020
MGK said the rock world needs more Fuck You attitudes and the entire rock/metal world said “fuck you” to him and now he’s upset. Make it make sense
— stupid (@ajbends) December 20, 2020
slipknot is one of the heaviest bands of all time mgk plays weiner rock for kids who like their parents
— eve 6ix (@Eve6) September 20, 2021
Squirt Gun Smelly
— Matthew kiichichaos Heafy (@matthewkheafy) September 26, 2021
And then… there’s Heart Attack Man:
Think if instead of MGK converting to pop punk he just went fullblown ska that would actually be the craziest shit in the world that would be very on brand for 2020 tho
— HEART ATTACK MAN (@HeartAttackMane) August 7, 2020
“What kind of music does your band play?”
“Punk”
“Oh so like MGK?”
“Yeah”
— HEART ATTACK MAN (@HeartAttackMane) May 24, 2021
Upstairs neighbors are blasting new MGK this house is now a pop punk fortress
— HEART ATTACK MAN (@HeartAttackMane) October 5, 2020
Our next release I’m actually abandoning pop punk and becoming old MGK 2.0
— HEART ATTACK MAN (@HeartAttackMane) October 1, 2020
