Machine Gun Kelly, the rapper and musician known as MGK and whose real name is Colson Baker, revealed he faced a serious health reaction after covering much of his torso and arms with blackout tattoos. He accelerated the project, which was supposed to last about two years, to just two months, ignoring professional recommendations.
The symptoms appeared in the first intense week of sessions. Baker reported that when he reached the lymph nodes in his armpits and shoulders, he became truly ill, with yellowed skin, insomnia, and loss of movement in parts of his upper body.
Tattoo artist warned about risks and pain
The artist responsible, celebrated tattoo artist ROXX, warned that the schedule would be “almost impossible”, especially given the pain tolerance involved. Even so, the musician insisted on completing the radical transformation.
Motivation for personal reinvention
The tattoos represented more than an aesthetic change: Baker was looking for a symbolic fresh start, ending a chapter marked by previous tattoos that, according to him, reflected internal turmoil. Blackout covered most of the ancient art on the chest, arms and abdomen, leaving negative elements like a crucifix.
MGK’s case serves as a warning about the risks of prolonged and concentrated tattoo sessions on large areas of the body. Regions rich in lymph nodes, such as armpits and shoulders, can react to the volume of ink and repeated trauma, generating symptoms such as apparent jaundice and temporary limitations of movement. Experts recommend always respecting the recovery time between sessions to avoid overloading the lymphatic system.
This experience took place in 2024, but has only now gained details in the interview with Billboard Canada, published this week. The artist overcame the difficult period and continues in a new phase, including musical projects such as the collaborative mixtape with Wiz Khalifa.
