Why Did Machine Gun Kelly Turn Himself Into a Human Chalkboard? The Dark Tattoo Secret Finally Spills!
Added on September 22, 2025 inCelebrity News Cards
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Ever wonder what it takes to turn your entire upper body into a blackout canvas—and why anyone in their right mind would subject themselves to such excruciating ‘torture’? Well, Machine Gun Kelly, aka Colson Baker, just spilled the ink on his jaw-dropping tattoo transformation that shocked fans everywhere when he debuted it last February. Shedding his once vibrant, chaotic skin art for a massive black silhouette shaped like a cross, MGK shares how this radical redo isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a soul-searching reboot inspired by his high-anxiety battles and a desire to completely reinvent what human skin could look like. And speaking of cosmic timing, maybe his bold move syncs with today’s intense celestial vibes, urging us all to embrace radical change, no matter the pain! Curious to dive into the gritty details of this epic makeover? LEARN MORE
Machine Gun Kelly has revealed why he went through the ‘torture’ of getting a blackout tattoo across most of his upper body.
The 35-year-old musician, real name Colson Baker, stunned fans when he first debuted the daring new look in February last year.
It was a drastic difference from the various colourful creations that previously decorated his skin, which MGK said no longer ‘resonated’ with him as he viewed them as ‘chaotic’.
He replaced these designs with a huge blackout tattoo which is shaped in the silhouette of a cross, although he clung onto a few special ones.
For example, MGK made sure not to cover up a ‘little tattoo’ which his daughter Casie, 16, previously inked on one of his arms.
MGK explained he kept some special tattoos visible, such as one inked on his arm by his teen daughter (The Jennifer Hudson Show/Warner Bros)
His colossal blackout tattoo was designed by blackwork specialist Roxx, who has inked stars such as Ricky Martin, Rosie O’Donnell, Adam Lambert and Michèle Lamy.
It required 44 needles to complete and Roxx revealed that she began working on it in December 2023 at her private studio in LA.
At the time, she said MGK had so far sat for 13 six-hour sessions and dubbed the rapper one of ‘the toughest client she’s ever had’.
Although he may have put on a brave face in front of Roxx, MGK – who recently welcomed a baby girl with ex-fiancée Megan Fox – confessed it was ridiculously painful.
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday (18 September), the father-of-two said: “It was the worst torture I’ve ever [endured].”
He explained that he would not consider the controversial practice of being placed under anaesthesia for an extensive inking, even though he knew getting a blackout tattoo wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.
“I don’t do the going under and numbing and waking up, I don’t do any of that,” MGK told ‘Spotlight’ singer Hudson. “I had to thug this out. Big mistake!”
The ‘Twin Flame’ hitmaker also revealed what inspired him to jump on the blackout tattoo bandwagon, which famous faces such as Kat Von D have also opted for in recent years.
Discussing how he decided to take the plunge, MGK said: “I’ve realised through research that this is actually from someone who just has extremely high anxiety.
“But in my head, it really interested me in redesigning the anatomy.”
The rapper’s body was previously adorned in various designs which he now considers ‘chaotic’ (Instagram/@machinegunkelly)
“You know, the skin is the largest organ that we have,” he continued.
“I’ve already had all tattoos since I was 13, my whole body has been covered for a long time. And I wanted to redesign what the human skin could look like.
“So, a friend of mine named Roxx came up with this.”
In an Instagram post shared in April last year, MGK revealed he had been spending a lot of time in his hyperbaric oxygen chamber to speed up the healing process while the blackout inking was still a work in progress.
He shared footage from a host of the tattooing sessions he had with Roxx so fans could get a visual understanding of the hard work that went into it.
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