Last week, Machine Gun Kelly was flying high after winning his first-ever MTV VMA for Best Alternative Video. But, in what feels like something of a full-circle moment, the rapper turned rocker has found himself in a feud with the masked metal band Slipknot after switching genres in the wake of his prior beef with rapper Eminem. When Slipknot’s lead vocalist Corey Taylor recently appeared on Cutter’s Rockcast for an interview, MGK once again found himself the target of an elder’s ire.
“I’m the worst old fogey dude shaking his cane ever,” Taylor admitted. “I hate everything. I hate all new rock for the most part. I [hate] the artists who failed in one genre and decided to go rock — and I think he knows who he is. But that’s another story.” The snide remark was clearly a shot at Machine Gun Kelly, who has been criticized on social media over switching sounds in the wake of his Eminem battle. It’s also pretty inaccurate, depending on your definition of “failure” — Kelly carved out a lengthy rap career starting in the mid-2000s, and his first three albums charted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
Kelly never has been one to roll over for his aged critics, though (recall that his Eminem feud started when the elder rapper took shots at him on the album Kamikaze). During a recent set at Riot Fest, MGK took the opportunity to respond to Taylor’s comments, goading, “Hey, you wanna know what I’m really happy that I’m not doing? Being 50 years old and wearing a f*cking weird mask on a f*cking stage.” But rather than dwell on the moment, he quickly lightened the mood with an abrupt change of course: “So, what’s everyone’s favorite candy?” he asked. “Reese’s Pieces?” To be fair, Taylor is only 47 — just two years older than MGK’s Born With Horns collaborator Travis Barker.
https://twitter.com/ticketstotaraxx/status/1439816854361579522
Ironically, this wasn’t the first disagreement Kelly has been in lately. At the VMAs, a red carpet scuffle nearly broke out after Kelly’s security jostled MMA fighter, Conor McGregor. Naturally, Twitter has thoughts. Check some of those out below.
Machine Gun Kelly v. Slipknot pic.twitter.com/955mulqhNM
— State of the Scene (@SOTSPodcast) September 20, 2021
Machine Gun Kelly yelling at people for wearing comfortable shoes at Warped Tour and then calling Slipknot weird for wearing masks is the start of my joker arc
— gods favourite emo?️⚧️ (@yasminesummanx) September 20, 2021
Eminem fans and Slipknot fans coming together against MGK pic.twitter.com/ofg9be44er
— Fernando Castellanos (@Fern_Dog327) September 20, 2021
why did mgk say smth abt slipknot ? ? please mgk vs corey beef sounds funny as fuck actually
— trin (@VAS0LlNE) September 20, 2021
Not that this has to be said but Slipknot is one of the most influential metal bands of all time and for MGK to boil them down to “50 year olds wearing weird masks” is so fucking funny to me
— The Emo Formerly Known As ThyArtIsMemes (@ThyArtIsMemes2) September 20, 2021
Corey Taylor started the whole Slipknot & Machine Gun Kelly thing by dissing him without any reason months ago then copying his song bad mf on Live the madness with some band. Fans called them out on YouTube and they deleted all comments exposing them.
So mgk is mad for a reason
— EST FOR LIFE (@ESTFORLIFE1) September 20, 2021