Machine Gun Kelly’s audacious body art came at a significant cost to his health.
The 36-year-old musician, whose real name is Colson Baker, recently opened up about the severe health issues he encountered after getting a massive blackout tattoo, also known as his ‘dark mode’ ink. This bold body art covers the upper half of his torso in solid black, leaving small sections of his original tattoos visible through strategic placements along his arms and within a cross design on his chest.
Back in February 2024, the father of two first unveiled the all-black chest piece as he shared a striking Instagram photo captioned: ‘For spiritual purposes only.’
MGK explained that although his tattoo artist had advised that the intricate work would require two years to complete, he chose to compress the timeline into just two months. This decision, however, had serious repercussions on his health.
In a candid discussion with Billboard Canada, the former partner of Megan Fox shared, “After the first week, we hit my lymph nodes around my armpits and shoulders, and I got really sick.”
He recalled the alarming physical symptoms that followed: “My skin was turning yellow. I wasn’t able to sleep. I stopped being able to move certain parts of my upper body.”
Machine Gun Kelly has detailed the serious illness he endured as a side effect of his massive blackout or ‘dark mode’ tattoo which covers the entire upper half of his body
‘My skin was turning yellow. I wasn’t able to sleep. I stopped being able to move certain parts of my upper body.’
Despite the health hell he was put through, the Home rapper said that he got through it and came out of recovery ‘extremely inspired.’
He explained: ‘Not just because of what I had done, but because of what I had to overcome.’
MGK also explained that he began the process as he was thinking about his recent project which was a mixtape in collaboration with Wiz Khalifa titled Blog Era Boyz which was released last month.
He said: ‘I was looking for a change that wasn’t just a sound wave. It had to be something physical.’
The rapper said that after the transformation he wasn’t able to recognize himself when he looked in the mirror.
MGK said: ‘I saw death and drugs in all these patterns that I was literally writing on my body.
‘There were happy tattoos, sad tattoos, holy tattoos, hellish tattoos. It was like my bipolarity was screaming off my skin.’
Back in February 2024, the father of two first unveiled the all-black chest piece as he shared a striking Instagram photo captioned: ‘For spiritual purposes only’
MGK seen alongside now ex Megan Fox before getting his blackout tattoo in 2023
At the time that he got the tattoo, MGK linked the extreme tattoo to a turbulent period in his life in his emotionally charged track Don’t Let Me Go.
A month after showing off his wild ink, he welcomed daughter Saga in March 2025 with now ex Fox.
Kelly and Fox, 40 welcomed their baby girl in March, just four months after their relationship reportedly ended in November 2024 following claims the actress discovered he had been communicating with other women.
Despite the breakup, a source revealed in late 2025 that Fox has been impressed by ‘how he’s stepped up for both her and the baby,’ fueling whispers that the former fiancés could be finding their way back to each other.
When he revealed the blackout tattoo, MGK also noted that the new ink required ’44 needles’ in an Instagram Story.
His tattoo artist Roxx told TMZ that the rock star engaged in a ‘spiritual consultation’ before diving into the process.
During this session, MGK conveyed to her that his existing tattoos no longer resonated with his current mindset, calling them ‘chaotic’.
The procedure seemed to be quite a formidable task, and Roxx mentioned that MGK was the ‘toughest client she’s ever had’.
Kelly and Fox, 40, welcomed their baby girl in March, just four months after their relationship reportedly ended in November 2024 following claims the actress discovered he had been communicating with other women; (pictured 2021)
She also said the process started in mid-December 2023, with MGK consistently visiting her private L.A. studio four days a week for thirteen six-hour sessions.
Roxx took to her own Instagram to share a different photo of her jaw-dropping work on MGK.
Echoing her remarks to the outlet, she captioned it, ‘Made some art with @machinegunkelly Never met a tougher one.’
MGK replied in the comment section, writing, ‘thanks for the joy and the pain.’
