Machine Gun Kelly debuted a new impressive tattoo style, prompting divided reactions and controversial claims that he is trying to change ethnicity.
Taking to his Instagram page on Tuesday (February 20), the 33-year-old singer, whose real name is Colson Baker, showed off his new blackout tattoo in a picture displaying his naked upper body.
Highlights
- Machine Gun Kelly's new blackout tattoo sparked controversy over cultural appropriation claims.
- The blackout tattoo extends from Machine Gun Kelly's upper chest to both arms, concealing old tattoos.
- Machine Gun Kelly wrote that his blackout tattoo was "for spiritual purposes only".
Machine’s blackout piece, a type of tattoo that involves covering a large area of the skin with solid black ink, essentially creating a solid block of color, extends from his upper chest all the way to both of his arms, leaving some fine lines that let his old tattoos barely show.
Moreover, the filled-in black ink has seemingly been designed to leave the shape of a cross in the middle of his chest.
The rapper captioned the picture: “For spiritual purposes only,” before thanking his tattoo artist, who goes by the name “Roxx.”
Machine Gun Kelly debuted a new tattoo style, prompting divided reactions and controversial claims
Image credits: machinegunkelly
According to My Tatouage, blackout tattoo meanings are not always linked to the dark or even negative side of things. Although, at first glance, it may look like that, it can also be an expression of deep grief for someone who has passed away (it is like wearing black at funerals).
The website dedicated to permanent body art notes that some people choose to wear black tattoos as an expression of some things that happened in their past that they don’t want to forget.
Blackout tattoos can also carry meanings like mystery, secret, hidden, magic, and darkness, as opposed to white ink, which is often thought to mean purity and innocence.
Image credits: roxx_____
But other people felt nostalgic for his older tattoos, as a person wrote: “MGK is known for his various tattoos and even his Cleveland tattoos.
“To get that all covered up and go straight black is wild and weird to me.”
Taking to his Instagram page on Tuesday (February 20), the 33-year-old singer showed off his new blackout tattoo in a picture
Image credits: machinegunkelly
An additional commentator penned: “I had an emotional attachment to those tats ngl (not going to lie).”
Tattoo artist Roxx, who has shown her extensive experience tattooing blackouts, as exemplified on her social media, also posted a snap of her work on the artist, as she captioned on her Instagram account: “Made some art with @machinegunkelly. Never met a tougher one.”
“Thanks for the joy and the pain,” Machine commented.
Image credits: machinegunkelly
Roxx described herself as a visual artist and blackwork visionary whose medium is the interface between ink and the human form on her official website. She wrote that her tattooing style, which blends mark-making, blackwork, and geometric motifs, honors traditional indigenous, spiritual, and tribal cultures.
Machine’s new tattoo is a blackout piece, a type of tattoo that involves covering a large area of the skin with solid black ink
Image credits: machinegunkelly
Nevertheless, the Emo Girl hitmaker’s new body art collection wasn’t to everyone’s taste, as some people accused the musician of impersonating another ethnicity.
“He wants to be black that bad?” a person commented on Roxx’s post.
Another person wrote: “So my thing is your whole page is u tattooing white ppl with black ink and u don’t do none that are color?”
Image credits: mgk
Some people accused the musician of impersonating another ethnicity
Machine’s new jaw-dropping tattoo follows Megan Fox’s new sleeve debut, which she revealed earlier this month.
The 37-year-old actress, who appears to still be in a relationship with the music star, surprised the crowd with a complete makeover after attending the 5th Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing party.
Posing for dozens of photographers, the Jennifer’s Body movie star stunned her fans with a new ink design on her arm as well as a new pink hair color.
Image credits: thekatvond
Machine Gun Kelly wouldn’t be the first to blackout his body as a result of some sort of spiritual awakening. In October 2023, LA Ink star Kat Von D of LA Ink revealed she had chosen not to undergo “extremely painful” laser removal of previous tattoos and instead simply “blackout” her skin.
The 41-year-old tattoo artist had reportedly renounced witchcraft and the occult when she embraced Christianity.
Taking to her Instagram page, the tattoo artist explained she had been in the process of “blacking out” her body, which has taken “17 sessions and almost 40 accumulative hours” thus far.
Machine's new tattoo reveal ignited more differing opinions
