Machine Gun Kelly has opened up about a tattoo that might have once looked aesthetically pleasing, but is now turning into a serious health issue in a new interview.
The musician has sat down with Billboard to tell the story of how his blackout tattoos, which he first started flaunting in 2024, have gone downhill. Though he admits tattoo artists had warned him about covering his parts of his body entirely in black ink at a faster rate, he pushed through, and revealed that the consequences were nearly fatal, leading him to become really sick. Read more about the situation below.
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Machine Gun Kelly Opens Up About His Blackout Tattoo Making Him Sick
These days, there are so many stars and celebrities in the spotlight who have tattoos. Whether they're tiny and delicate, barely being seen on someone's figure, or out and proud, taking up large portions of someone's skin, having a tattoo is no longer something seen as uncommon or extra rebellious.
However, there are certain kinds of tattoos that are associated with risk-taking or being out of the box, and one of those is blackout tattoos. These tattoos often take up a certain limb or portion of someone's body, and are entirely black ink. They're known to be painful, and the process of completing them can take a long time.
One of the stars who opted for this look is MGK, whose full name is Colson Baker, who started getting a massive, blackout tattoo that takes up most of his upper torso and arms, first revealing photos of the ink on social media in 2024. Now, in an interview with Billboard Canada, he's explaining that he went about it in a reckless way, stating that he went against the protocol that suggests the work gets done in two years, instead doing it in two months.
"After the first week, we hit my lymph nodes around my armpits and shoulders, and I got really sick," he admitted.
MGK Reveals His Skin Turned Yellow & He Wasn't Able To Move After Getting The Blackout Ink
Some people who have gotten tattoos have experienced adverse side effects, especially those who get them from unreliable artists. Many believe this doesn't happen to celebrities, who typically have enough funds to go see the best of the best.
However, the dad-of-two explained that going against medical advice and instructions from his tattoo artists backfired in a way that nearly had him knocking on death's door, causing side effects that indicated he was extremely ill.
"My skin was turning yellow," he described. "I wasn't able to sleep. I stopped being able to move certain parts of my upper body."
Despite it all, now that he's better, the artist is explaining that the entire thing, from transforming his body with the ink to recovering from his illness, was a spiritual type of experience, telling the above publication he was "inspired."
"Not just because of what I had done, but because of what I had to overcome," he explained. "I was looking for a change that wasn't just a sound wave. It had to be something physical."
