Machine Gun Kelly has opened up about a frightening reaction he experienced after getting his huge blackout-style ‘dark mode’ tattoo across the upper half of his body.
The musician, whose real name is Colson Baker and who now often stylises his stage name as mgk, has regularly shared updates on his body art online, with one of his most dramatic changes being the large black tattoo that now covers much of his torso.
In February 2024, MGK decided to transform his existing collection of tattoos after feeling that many of them were tied to chapters of his life he no longer wanted to carry with him.
In a new Billboard Canada cover story published on June 8, 2026, the 36-year-old explained that the decision was connected to a wider period of reinvention in his life and career, after years of moving between rap, pop-punk, rock and country-influenced releases.
He turned to well-known tattoo artist ROXX, who designed the bold ‘dark mode’ piece across his chest, stomach and arms, using heavy areas of solid black ink to cover what had been there before.
According to the interview, ROXX is known for large geometric pieces and coverwork, and also photographed MGK for the Billboard Canada feature in Los Angeles in May 2026.
Although MGK is no stranger to tattoos, he chose to complete the process far faster than recommended, something that later appeared to take a serious toll on his body.
Speaking to Billboard Canada, Kelly said ROXX had warned him the work could take around ‘two years’ if done gradually, but he was not prepared to stretch the process out for that long.
Instead, the tattoo was completed in only two months, despite warnings from the studio about the possible strain it could put on his health.
MGK continued:
“After the first week, 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.”
The symptoms he described were especially concerning because blackout tattoos involve packing large areas of skin with ink, often requiring long sessions, extensive healing time and repeated trauma to the skin.
Health authorities including the FDA and Mayo Clinic have warned that tattoos can carry risks including infection, allergic reaction, scarring and other complications, particularly because tattooing breaks the skin barrier. Anyone who develops symptoms such as yellowing skin, fever, spreading redness, severe swelling, pus, worsening pain or loss of movement after a tattoo is generally advised to seek medical attention promptly.
Even after dealing with those alarming symptoms, Kelly chose not to stop the tattooing process and pushed through the remaining sessions.
Once the work was finished, he said the result left him feeling ‘extremely inspired’.
In the Billboard Canada interview, MGK said the transformation was not only about covering old ink, but about physically marking a new chapter after a difficult period that included grief, addiction struggles, rehab and questions about his identity.
When ROXX shared a photo of the completed tattoo on Instagram in 2024, the artist reflected on the intense project.
“Made some art with @machinegunkelly,”
the artist wrote.
“Never met a tougher one.”
Kelly responded:
“Thanks for the joy and the pain.”
MGK also posted a picture of the tattoo on his own social media account, adding the caption:
“For spiritual purposes only.”
The tattoo also became part of the story around his music. On his 2024 track Don’t Let Me Go, MGK referenced having a breakdown and tattooing almost his entire body, connecting the dramatic visual change to the emotional state he was in at the time.
Since then, MGK has continued releasing music across genres. In 2025, he released Lost Americana, and in 2026 he reunited with Wiz Khalifa for the mixtape Blog Era Boyz, a project inspired by the 2000s and 2010s blog-rap era that helped shape both artists’ early careers.
More recently, in March 2026, Kelly showed off another tattoo: his daughter’s name, ‘Saga’, written in capital letters on the back of his right hand.
The tattoo was reportedly done during the Berlin stop of his Lost Americana tour, ahead of Saga’s first birthday.
Saga Blade Fox-Baker was born on March 27, 2025 and is Kelly’s daughter with Megan Fox.
Kelly and Fox split in late 2024, before Saga’s birth, but the pair continue to co-parent their daughter following their separation.
The rapper is also dad to his eldest daughter, Casie, whom he co-parents with ex Emma Cannon, and he has a tattoo tribute for her as well.