Why Corey Taylor (Slipknot) punched Machine Gun Kelly

TO almost five years since the feud began between Machine Gun Kelly and the Slipknot frontman, the pop punk rapper recently returned to speaking publicly about the clash with Corey Taylortelling his side of the story during a video interview on Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza’s podcast.

According to MGK’s story, everything was born from an attack he received publicly after his change of direction from rap to sounds and attitudes closer to pop punk with the album “Tickets to my downfall“. “What do you do if someone punches you in the face?” Machine Gun Kelly said during the chat: “That’s what happened. I got punched in the face and I reacted, and that would be the crazy thing?”

Tension between the two began in late 2020 and early 2021, when MGK criticized part of the rock scene claiming to want to see more “attitude” in the genre and mocking the Warped Tour bands for their “comfortable shoes”. A few months later Corey Taylor responded in an interview by talking about artists “who failed at a genre and decided to rock”adding “I think he knows who I’m talking about.” Many interpreted those words as a dig directed at MGK.

In the new interview, Machine Gun Kelly said he initially tried to establish an artistic relationship with the Slipknot frontmaninviting him to collaborate on a song from the deluxe version of “Tickets to my downfall”. “I told him it would be really cool to hear him do that kind of verse on that song, as a fan,” explained Colson Baker – this is the real name of the “Bloody Valentine” singer. According to the story, Corey Taylor should have participated in “Can’t look back”but the project broke up due to creative differences. “He just told me that it wasn’t what he wanted to do and that he would rather get off the record. That’s fine, I respect that.”

According to MGK, the problem came later and he said: “Seeing someone I admired talk badly about me after the album came out and did well was a punch in the face.” The feud finally exploded in September 2021 during a concert at Riot Festwhen MGK attacked Taylor from the stage by mocking him for his Slipknot mask. “You know one thing that makes me happy not to do? Be 50 years old, wear a weird fucking mask on stage and talk shit,” Machine Gun Kelly said at the time.

Corey Taylor, for his part, has always maintained that MGK started it all. During a 2022 Q&A at the “ShipRocked” cruise festival, the singer said that his colleague “came in being a know-it-all weirdo and demanding to tell other people how to dress.” Despite the years that have passed, the two have never clarified in person. Mgk, however, said that the relationship with Sid Wilson of Slipknot, which was damaged during that period, has now been recomposed. “Sid and I are back on good terms. Corey and I, however, haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. We were both freaked out.” However, the 36-year-old singer concluded by saying that he was still a Slipknot fanwhile reiterating that he “did not appreciate what happened”.