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Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker
Getty Images for dcpUPDATE (1/31/22): Months after getting the name of his next album tattooed on his arm — and convincing producer/drummer Travis Barker to do the same — Machine Gun Kelly told Barker that his new LP would no longer be called Born With Horns. MGK broke the news to Barker in a video shared on TikTok, first confirming with Barker that the two would be friends “no matter what,” and then revealing that he’d decided to change the title of the album to, Mainstream Sellout. No word yet on whether there will be additional matching tattoos.
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Machine Gun Kelly added to his already impressive collection of tats Monday when he announced his next album’s title via matching ink with frequent collaborator Travis Barker. The duo showed off their new tattoos — reading Born With Horns — on Instagram, sneering and flexing all the while.
Barker is the record’s executive producer; Born With Horns marks Kelly’s sixth studio album and follows 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall, also produced by Barker.
The Blink-182 drummer has found new life over the past few years by collaborating with younger artists, including Willow Smith, Trippie Redd, and Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee.
“Travis showed me the art of not overthinking,” MGK previously told Rolling Stone. “There were times I’d walk in, we would plug in instruments, and whatever came out while we were playing would be the song. But then he also showed me that you can completely scrap a whole song, right when you think it’s done, and do it over until it becomes everything it should be. He would answer the phone at 5 a.m. if I called. The studio sessions became cathartic. There was no censorship. He encouraged the raw emotion to come out.”
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There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
