Machine Gun Kelly Contends With His Legacy on New Single ‘Pressure’
Machine Gun Kelly wants to know what else he has to do in order to lock in his status as a legend. On his latest single, “Pressure,” the rapper racks his brain to recount all of the moments he thought would represent a breakthrough for everyone else but ultimately left him feeling dejected and misunderstood. “Everything’s destined, it was inevitable I take on his aggression,” he raps. “Mad at the world ’cause I’m feelin’ rejected/Guess that I gotta die to be a legend.”
In the accompanying music video for “Pressure,” the musician born Colson Baker further contends with his own legacy, tracing his headlining gigs at big-name arenas back to his upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio. “I just made the hardest shit I ever heard right now,” he boasts, fully stepping into his rap bag after pivoting to pop punk for two full album cycles. “Wait a minute, look where I was and where I’m at right now/In a plane with no passengers in it, over Cleveland, ’bout to touchdown.”
The song’s Sam Cahill-directed music video features a cameo from Pete Davidson, as well as former World of Dance champions Elevated Crew. Meanwhile, its lyrics include name-drop Dua Lipa, Wiz Khalifa, and Young Thug.
Machine Gun Kelly’s official return to form following the Travis Barker-assisted albums Tickets to my Downfall (2020) and Mainstream Sellout (2022) first began with his cypher series. Earlier this month, the rapper released “Doja Freestyle” and “Renegade Freestyle,” nearly back-to-back. He used the latter to take aim at Jack Harlow after the Kentucky rapper declared himself the best white rapper since Eminem. This, as one could imagine, made MGK feel some type of way, especially with his legacy resting on his mind so heavily.
“Make sure there’s no confusions/I’m a great white, I can eat these barracudas/See who I am? You’re stupid, it’s nice to meet you,” he rapped. “I just put this hole in the ground for you like a soccer cleat shoe/I see why they call you Jackman, you jacked man’s whole swag/Give Drake his flow back, man.”
MGK’s last large-scale beef with a white rapper — Eminem himself, actually — had him running toward the emo revival at full force. But now, it seems, he believes he has more solid ground to stand on.