Image Credits - BillboardMachine Gun Kelly has hit back at a music critic for what he called a “random hate narrative” regarding his latest song, Your Name Forever, which serves as a tribute to his late friend, professional snowboarder Luke “The Dingo” Trembath.
The rapper-turned-rocker responded to music reviewer Jesea Lee, who commented on the track by saying, “There’s people that are gonna hate this just because it’s MGK.” This remark did not sit well with the 33-year-old musician, who took to the critic’s social media post to express his frustration.
“This song is for one of my best friends who just passed away,” MGK wrote on March 18. “Why would you insert a random comment about ‘you might hate this because it’s MGK’—don’t comment about something that our hearts are broken over if you’re going to bring that energy.”
He went on to urge the critic to refrain from pushing unnecessary negativity, adding, “Quit pushing random hate narrative about me. I do nothing but show love and help progress the genre you report about.”
A tribute born from tragedy
MGK also provided deeper insight into the emotional weight of Your Name Forever, revealing the eerie circumstances that led to its creation.
“I appreciate everyone listening to Your Name Forever, the song for our bro Dingo that came about the same hour that he was passing away,” he shared via Instagram Stories on March 18. “I had a weird feeling in my gut. We were doing a completely different song and, out of nowhere, I just was like, ‘Nah, let’s make something different.’”
He further explained that the first lyric he recorded for the track was, “Someone call me back, I’ll paint my coffin black if no one will,” a line that he didn’t fully understand at the time. It was only after receiving a call informing him of Trembath’s passing that the meaning became heartbreakingly clear. The next day, he and his team returned to the studio and completed what he described as “probably the hardest song I ever had to make in my career.”
Trembath, who passed away suddenly in February at age 38, was a close friend of MGK. Following the tragic news, the musician posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing, “I’ve lost a lot of friends, but I’ve never lost a brother. We’ll never get another Dingo on this planet.”
MGK, who shares a 15-year-old daughter with Emma Cannon, also reflected on the bittersweet nature of his current life changes. As he and his ex-fiancée, Megan Fox, prepare to welcome their first child together, he finds solace in imagining his late friend watching over the baby.
“I feel like you’re up there with my new child, dressed up in a hilarious costume making them laugh, getting ready to send them down,” he wrote.
