Why Did Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly Feud? Inside Their Journey From Rap Rivals to Friends

Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly appeared to be thick as thieves while collaborating on their July 2024 single “Lonely Road,” but the musicians weren’t always friendly with each other. MGK alluded to their decade-old feud during his acceptance speech at the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards , leading many fans to wonder what happened between them and how they overcame their differences.

Why Did Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly Feud?

Though Jelly and MGK both shifted musical genres through the years, with the “Save Me” singer finding success in country music and the “Bloody Valentine” hitmaker venturing into punk and alternative music, both began their careers as rappers. They admitted during the Spotify podcast “ Jelly Roll: Countdown to Beautifully Broken ” on September 13, 2024, that they felt pitted against each other.

“You gotta understand, there was only, like, seven white rappers on Earth at this time. So it was so competitive when you was in that pool. We were kind of automatically forced against each other anyways,” Jelly, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, said.

MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, added, “For sure. You were bred to hate each other."

Jelly joked that jealousy played into his disdain for his then-rival in the 2010s. "You were just skinny and handsome. I was just a hater. You know what I'm saying? I was just a hater, dude! … I was just a little spiteful, bitter f--king dude,” he said.

The feeling was mutual for MGK, who told the “Son of a Sinner” singer, "It is so funny how much I love you now, because God, I hated you so much back then.”

Was Jelly Roll’s Song ‘Malibu’s Most Wanted’ About Machine Gun Kelly?

In 2012, Jelly released a song called “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” which was believed to be a diss track aimed at MGK. The track’s title was an allusion to the 2003 film of the same name, which starred Jamie Kennedy as a white rapper who is also the son of a U.S. senator and is largely seen as an embarrassment. However, Jelly did not directly confirm that the song was about his rap rival, and MGK did not appear to respond to the diss at the time.

Are Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly Friends?

Consider their beef squashed. MGK and Jelly Roll confirmed their friendship by working together on the song “Lonely Road” and the corresponding music video, which also featured Jelly’s wife, Bunnie Xo , and MGK’s partner, Megan Fox .

MGK also gave a shoutout to his rivalry-turned-friendship with Jelly in his acceptance speech for the Crossover Song of 2024 Award for “Lonely Road” at the PCCAs on September 26, 2024.

“We went from 10 years ago hating each other to elevating each other,” he said of his pal, who was not at the awards show due to being on his Beautifully Broken tour. “Comparison is the thief of joy. There is enough room on the couch for everybody. We found camaraderie in the chaos.”

He continued, “Last year I was right there, sitting in that seat, watching my boy rock on that stage. And I was like, ‘Man, I hope one day we’re up there.’ And we’re here!”