Why did Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly have beef? All My Life rapper explains reason behind past feud

Jelly Roll explains reason behind past feud with Machine Gun Kelly (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

In a candid interview, rapper and singer Jelly Roll has opened up about his past feud with fellow artist Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), shedding light on the cause of their disagreement.

On September 13, 2024, during the inaugural episode of Spotify’s vodcast series Countdown To, Jelly was joined by MGK. In the candid discussion, the two artists shed light on the origins of their once-bitter relationship, offering insights into the misunderstandings and competitive tensions that had fueled their public feud.

“I was just a spiteful, bitter [expletive] dude, you know what I’m saying? I explain this to people and they don’t understand the concept because of our age now,” Jelly said.

Moreover, the Countdown To episode featuring the Tennessee artist coincided with the upcoming release of his new music, Beautifully Broken, which is set to debut in October.

Spotify’s new Countdown Pages feature, launched in July 2024, allows artists and their fans to engage more deeply with forthcoming album releases. This tool lets listeners preview tracklists, watch exclusive clips, purchase artist and album merchandise, and track a real-time countdown leading up to the album’s release.

Jelly Roll opens up about past feud with Machine Gun Kelly: Recalling why they hated each other

In the September 11 episode, Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) recounted the origins of their feud, describing how they once harbored strong animosity toward each other.

Jelly Roll suggested that much of their conflict stemmed from their youthful mindsets at the time. Their age and competitive spirit played a significant role in their past tension.

The Tennessee artist remarked that when he and MGK launched their careers, only a handful of white rappers were in the industry. This scarcity, he suggested, made rivalry almost inevitable, as it felt like they were being pitted against one another.

“Whenever I talk to my daughter, I’m like, ‘You’ve got to understand. There was only like seven white rappers on earth at this time. So, it was so competitive when you was in the pool that we were kind of automatically forced against each other anyways,” Jelly added.

MGK further seconded his statement, noting,

“For sure. You’re bred to hate each other,” MGK said.

In addition, Jelly Roll candidly praised MGK, acknowledging his good looks and charisma and admitting with a laugh that he hated him the most for it.

“And you were just like, just skinny and handsome. So I was like, I was just a hater. I was just a hater, dude! It’s hard to grow up in front of the whole world,” Jelly said.

Jelly Roll and MGK started their music careers in early 2000 with Eminem, Beastie Boys, Paul Wall, Yelawolf, and Kid Rock. The duo had a notable beef in the past, with both releasing diss tracks on each other, including MGK’s Alpha Omega and Jelly Roll’s I Need You.

In addition, the Tennessee artist and MGK never collaborated in their early days; however, this year, the two musicians shocked their fans by proposing the highly anticipated Lonely Road, for which MGK also penned a heartfelt message for his fellow artist on Instagram.

“From us beefing 12 years ago, and fast forward to us putting out what i believe will be the biggest hit of our careers yet im proud to call you my brother and life feels better knowing you got my back. this lonely road ain’t so lonely, my friend,” MGK wrote on Instagram.

Jelly Roll also talked about his new album, Beautifully Broken, on the vodcast, suggesting that this project was the longest he had ever taken to write. He also indicated that the songs depict the stories he cannot tell.

The album is all set to release on October 11, 2024.