Machine Gun Kelly Slammed For ‘Promoting Self-Harm’ With Razor-Shaped Guitar
MGK says the guitar is “kind of an ode to” a line from his song ‘Title Track’, which does indeed reference self-harm.
Machine Gun Kelly (Supplied)
Machine Gun Kelly is getting his goddamn ass beat in the comments section, with critics showing no mercy for his interesting new signature guitar – which is, uh, shaped like a razor blade.
Plainly titled the Machine Gun Kelly Razor Blade, the new guitar was unveiled by Schecter on Tuesday (January 9) and retails for $1,499 USD ($2,231 AUD). It originally held a price tag of $2,169 ($3,778), but was promptly slashed (pun intended) by $670 – a huge sign of corporate worry for a brand-new guitar release.
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The new axe’s specs are actually pretty decent – it’s got a basswood body with a slick chrome finish, a three-piece, 25.5-inch maple neck with carbon fibre reinforcement rods, 22 jumbo frets, a 14-inch fretboard radius, glow-in-the-dark side dot markers, a Schecter USA Pasadena Plus pickup in the bridge, and master volume/killswitch controls. The criticism, naturally, is aimed at the concerning shape.
MGK himself unveiled the guitar at a concert, saying of its backstory: “It’s kind of an ode to [his 2020 album] Tickets To My Downfall, a line on Title Track, and also an ode to my 20s and all the crazy times that I had.” The line he referenced comes from the pre-chorus of Title Track, where he sings: “I use a razor to take off the edge / ‘Jump off the ledge,’ they said / ‘Take the laser, aim at my head / and paint the walls red,’ I said.”
The comments on Schecter’s announcement post have been nothing short of brutal. YouTube star Rudy Ayoub dubbed it “the grossest thing [he’s] ever seen”, for example, and dozens of comments joked that it looked like one of the fake guitars often posted by famed satire page Chibson. Another commenter labelled MGK “the edgiest edgelord to ever edge a lord”, while one pointed out that the guitar “looks like it could promote self-harm culture”, and another said its release is “borderline advocating cutting”.
In true MGK fashion, the “artist” was quick to start beef with his critics. On Twitter, Static Dress frontman Olli Appleyard cited the guitar as a reason he “fucking hate[s] living on this planet”, to which MGK replied by calling him “a jealous musician who never made it”.
Appleyard brushed the jab aside by joking that MGK should “just continue to push horrific themes to literal children”, which led the latter to say in response, “And you can continue to show them how to be shallow-minded and not look at art with any depth. I’ve done my job as an artist by creating a conversation, you’ve done yours as an idiot by not having the capacity to understand my message.”
Landing the final blow in this shortlived Twitter drama, Appleyard posted lyrics from MGK’s cringe anthem Emo Girl, which features the timeless and iconic hook, “I fell in love with an emo girl / I’m in love with an emo girl / I fell in love with an emo girl / All I want is an emo girl.”
the art in question: pic.twitter.com/IPwz9LeCVY
— krishna (@krizznahh) January 9, 2024
On his own account, MGK defended himself by saying he’ll “never explain” his art “because true art is conversational and always up for interpretation”. But, he added, “most of you constantly interpret it wrong, and then blame me for your version of what you think my art is. Ultimately I’m sad at how people perceive me in general. Peace.”
i'll never explain my art, because true art is conversational and always up for interpretation, but i will say, most of you constantly interpret it wrong. and then blame me for your version of what you think my art is. ultimately im sad at how people perceive me in general. peace
— blonde don (@machinegunkelly) January 10, 2024
Meanwhile, MGK – real name Colson Baker – recently pondered whether he should change his stage name, with some assuming it had to do with ‘Machine Gun Kelly’ potentially glorifying gun violence. The man has never shied away from his love of violence, though – last July, for example, he punched a fan in the face during one of his concerts, then (allegedly) started a fist-fight at the Orange County Fair. As you do.
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