A Guide to Machine Gun Kelly’s Tattoos: Photos of the Rapper’s Ink and Their Special Meanings

Blackout

MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, shocked fans on February 20, 2024, when he debuted a blackout tattoo on his chest and arms. The ink covered most of his upper torso but left a crucifix pattern that allowed his tattoos underneath the blackout to peek through.

“For spiritual purposes only,” the “Rap Devil” hitmaker wrote in the caption, thanking his tattoo artist, Roxx. She also shared several photos of MGK’s new ink and wrote, “Made some art with @machinegunkelly. Never met a tougher one.”

Brick Wall

On his lower stomach, MGK has a red brick wall tattoo, as well as the phrase, “Locals Only.” He also has an anarchism symbol in black, plus a Banksy tattoo in the form of a man with a sign reading, “Keep your coins I want change.”

The Dirt star once shared that his team wasn’t happy about the anarchy tattoo. “It was the only one that was a debate,” he told TheDrop.fm in 2013. “Everyone was like, ‘No man! No f–king way, man. You’re already kind of black-balled in the industry, and you’re gonna put that on your body. Now no corporate sponsors are going to f–k with you.”

He continued, “I just got anarchy because it’s a very strong statement about social reform. There is no f–king rules. There is no code. You can’t tell me how to live my life. This is my own individuality, and I wear it proudly.”

MGK

The rapper’s back is also covered in ink, including a massive tribute to his stage name’s initials across his shoulders. The “MGK” tattoo features pink and blue ink and floats above a depiction of “The Temptation of Saint Anthony” by Salvador Dalí. This colorful piece took 50 to 60 hours to complete, MGK told iHeartRadio in 2017.

Est. 1990

Though it’s now covered by the blackout tattoo, MGK once had his birth year tattooed across his upper chest. The artwork was surrounded by imagery of a devil and an angel. Just below the birth year tattoo, MGK had a guardian angel tattoo, which he revealed he got when he was 16 years old and “started believing in God.” The angel wore a tank top and baggy jeans.

Another notable piece of ink in the area is a “Casie” tattoo under his nipple in honor of his daughter, who was born in 2009. On his side, MGK has an image of a red double decker bus with the date “5/14/13,” commemorating the date he was hit by the vehicle while crossing the street in Manchester, England.

The Raven

The Grammy nominee later covered his guardian angel tattoo and transformed it into a black raven with a dagger through it.

Full Sleeves

MGK’s arms were also covered in full sleeves of tattoos before he covered most of them with the blackout ink. He had a reminder of his Cleveland, Ohio, hometown on his right bicep in the form of a 71 North sign. “If I’m ever homesick, I can just take the 71 North,” he told GQ in 2016.

Another nod to Cleveland on his arm was the city’s 303 area code, as well as Denver’s 216 area code. On his other arm, MGK had a Jessica Rabbit piece and an anatomical heart made of stone.