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At the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) took a moment to address his past feud with fellow artist Jelly Roll during his acceptance speech.
MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, won the Crossover Song of 2024 Award for his collaboration with Jelly Roll on the track "Lonely Road." In his speech, MGK reflected on their journey from animosity to friendship. "We went from 10 years ago hating each other to elevating each other," he said.
The feud between MGK and Jelly Roll dates back to their early days in the music industry. Both artists started as rappers and felt pitted against each other due to their similar backgrounds. Jelly Roll explained in a recent podcast, "We were kind of automatically forced against each other anyways." MGK echoed this sentiment, adding, "You were bred to hate each other."
During his speech, MGK highlighted the importance of unity and support within the music industry. "Comparison is the thief of joy. There is enough room on the couch for everybody. We found camaraderie in the chaos," he stated.
MGK also shared a personal anecdote about his aspirations and admiration for Jelly Roll. "Last year I was right there, sitting in that seat, watching my boy rock on that stage," he recalled. "And I was like, 'Man, I hope one day we're up there.' And we're here!"
Jelly Roll, who was not present at the awards due to his ongoing Beautifully Broken tour, has also spoken about their past feud. In a candid conversation on his podcast, he admitted, "I was just a little spiteful, bitter f–king dude." He humorously added that MGK's looks may have contributed to his feelings of animosity: "You were just skinny and handsome. I was just a hater. You know what I'm saying? I was just a hater, dude!"
Concluding his speech, MGK said, "I don't view music as genres. To me, there's two genres of music: Good music and bad music."
