You walk away from the internet for a few hours, and the hottest (nee silliest) drama of the week just gets even more scorching hot. Machine Gun Kelly talked shit about Slipknot on stage at Riot Fest yesterday, at the same time the band was playing a different stage. It has now escalated into a war of words.
MGK's onstage quote was “Hey, you all know what I’m really happy that I’m not doing? Being 50 years old, wearing a fuckin’ weird mask on a fuckin’ stage. Fuckin’ shit. So anyway, what’s every’s favorite candy? Reese’s Pieces?”
After getting a ton of media for his quote, MGK tweeted earlier today alluding to Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor being bitter for being rejected on a guest spot on MGK's recent punk album, Tickets to My Downfall. MGK wrote "Corey did a verse for a song on Tickets To My Downfall album, it was fucking terrible, so I didn’t use it. He got mad about it, and talked shit to a magazine about the same album he was almost on. Y'alls stories are all off. Just admit he’s bitter."
At this point, Taylor had heard enough and responded. "I don't like people airing private shit like a child. So this is all I’ll say: I didn’t do the track because I don’t like when people try to ‘write’ for me. I said no to them. So without further ado…. #receipts. This is all I'm going to say about it," Taylor tweeted.
The two screenshots are of an email exchange between Taylor and Travis Barker, the producer of Machine Gun Kelly's pop punk album. The first email comes from Barker and passes along notes from MGK (referred to as Kel) where MGK noted that Taylor "killed it" on the vocals and that MGK was honored to have him on the track. MGK goes on to say he added a bridge and another verse to the track and recorded a demo track of how he thought Taylor should sing the song, particularly in the style that Taylor used on Slipknot's "Psychosocial."
The second screenshot provides Taylor's response to Barker saying "So I listened to the ideas and to be honest, I don't think I'm the right guy for the track. Nothing personal, I just think if this is what MGK is looking for, someone else is the guy to do it. It's all good and I'm stoked for him — I hope you guys find the right fit for it. Hope you understand and I wish you guys the best with it. If I can help in any way, let me know."
Here are the screenshots:
The comments MGK referred to are when Taylor wasn't too kind to him in the press a few months ago. In a February 2021 interview with Cutter's Rockcast, Taylor said that he's really annoyed by young bands that straight-up jack their sound from older bands.
"I look at some of these bands that sound like this or sound like that or sound like the other guy, and it's just, like, well, they obviously listened to two albums that have been out for a minute. But the ones that really frustrate me are the ones that they take something that's been around forever and then just basically rework it and call it new — even though it's completely derivative.
"You know the band they're ripping off — they're not even trying to rip off a bunch of bands; they're ripping off one band. But the younger generation picks them up and says, 'This is our blah blah blah,' because they're tired of old people telling them that the music that came before them was better. And I don't know who's right, but I know both are wrong, because we should be encouraging everything."
Taylor went on to acknowledge he's just a big ol' grumpy grandpa, and added "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," most likely referring to Machine Gun Kelly, who started his career doing pop-rap and has recently released a pop-punk type album.
"I'm just as bad. I'm the worst old fogey dude shaking his cane ever. And 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.
"I'm the worst. And I hate everything. And people are used to that with me, though. But I have also encouraged the younger generation to think past the boundaries of what we listen to. Do something that feels fresh; it may not have to sound fresh, but it's gotta feel fresh. If it's dead, then people are gonna treat it as dead, man."
So now you're all caught up… for now!
