Machine Gun Kelly is sharing yet another story about his massive blackout tattoo.
The singer, born Colson Baker, shocked fans in 2024 when he debuted a blackout tattoo covering the majority of his upper body. He has been open about the journey with fans, and recently shared new details.
Machine Gun Kelly is no stranger to needles and was covered in various tattoos before covering them up in the blackout design. He is also a fan of piercings and added new designs to his growing collection.
Machine Gun Kelly Reflects On The Story Behind His Massive Upper Body Tattoo
MGK reflected on his blackout tattoo in a new interview, revealing the story behind the design. He explained that he was in the process of redefining his music, but soon realized he “was looking for a change that wasn’t just a sound wave.”
“It had to be something physical,” Kelly said, recalling how he had looked in the mirror and didn’t know who he was anymore. The mishmash of tattoos all over his body reminded Kelly of the various phases of his life, some he didn’t even want to remember.
The singer told Billboard Canada, “I saw death and drugs in all these patterns that I was literally writing on my body.” He noted that there were “happy tattoos, sad tattoos, holy tattoos, hellish tattoos,” adding, “It was like my bipolarity was screaming off my skin.”
The Singer Got Sick For Rushing His Physical Transformation
Kelly continued that he wanted to reinvent his appearance the same way he reinvented his music and sought the expertise of tattoo guru, ROXX. When he saw the massive “dark mode” design ROXX designed for him, MGK knew it was the perfect tattoo to match the new him.
Unfortunately, ROXX stressed that the massive blackout tattoo required two years to completely cover the vast majority of Kelly’s arms, chest, and stomach. The time frame didn’t sit right with MGK, who urged the tattoo artist to complete the work in two months.
Kelly noted ROXX warned him of the unbearable pain and side effects, but he gritted his teeth to get it done and ultimately paid the price. “After the first week, we hit my lymph nodes around my armpits and shoulders, and I got really sick,” MGK said, adding:
“My skin was turning yellow. I wasn’t able to sleep. I stopped being able to move certain parts of my upper body.”
The Consequences Didn’t Faze The Entertainer
While many may have backed out after falling ill during the tattoo process, MGK remained steadfast in completing his transformation. He saw the journey as a physical and a metaphorical obstacle that he needed to overcome to grow personally and professionally.
Kelly patted himself on the back for overcoming the hurdle, claiming, “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 previously shared his tattoo journey with fans on Instagram.
In April 2024, MGK posted a video compilation of his massive blackout tattoo, revealing he started slowly from his arms. There was also a scene of Kelly breathing through an oxygen mask while sitting in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to speed up his healing.
The American Music Awards Honoree Skipped The Anesthesia
MGK shared more details about his blackout tattoo in September 2025 while appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show. At the time, Kelly claimed he was motivated to undergo the intense process because of his interest in “redesigning the anatomy.”
He shared that he had had tattoos since he was 13 and wanted to “redesign what the human skin could look like.” When Hudson asked how painful the process was, Kelly dropped another bombshell, declaring that he didn’t use anesthesia or numbing products. In his words:
“Yeah, I don’t do, like, the going under and numbing and waking up, I don’t do any of that…Yeah, I had to focus out, big mistake, but my morals stand.”
Machine Gun Kelly Flaunted New Piercings
Although Kelly described the blackout tattoo as “the worst torture” he had ever experienced, he appears to have a high tolerance for pain. He shocked fans with his incredible resilience when he flaunted the process of getting a n-pple piercing in April.
A fan account reshared the video on Instagram, which captured MGK shirtless as professional piercer Madison Sewell pierced one of his nipples. Kelly did not flinch or show any signs of discomfort throughout the process, as he was more excited than scared.
MGK didn’t stop there, as he also got a new ear piercing. The fan explained in the post’s caption that Kelly, in the original video, had said he couldn’t pierce both nipples because his guitar strap would end up irritating the piercings.
What will MGK share next?