In 2021, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), a popular American rapper and actor, made headlines for a song lyric that mentioned Hailie Jade Mathers, the daughter of fellow rapper Eminem. The lyric in question is from the song “Unholy” on MGK’s album “Tickets to My Downfall” and goes as follows: “I’m drunk and I’m hearing noises, too real when I’m feeling like Hailie at 18.”
The lyric sparked controversy among fans of both MGK and Eminem, with many questioning why MGK would bring up Hailie in his music. Some speculated that it was a diss aimed at Eminem, while others believed it was simply a reference to Hailie as a well-known figure in the rap world.
MGK himself addressed the controversy in an interview with the radio show “The Breakfast Club.” He explained that the lyric was not intended as a diss towards anyone, and that he had no personal issues with Eminem or his family. He also clarified that the lyric was meant to convey the feeling of being young and reckless, much like Hailie would have been at 18 years old.
“I don’t have a problem with nobody,” MGK said. “The whole point of that bar is like, yeah, I was young and wild and free and making mistakes and I felt like Hailie at 18, you know? That’s kind of what that bar is.”
Despite MGK’s explanation, some fans continued to speculate that the lyric was a dig at Eminem. The two rappers have a long-standing feud dating back to 2012, when Eminem criticized MGK in his song “Not Alike.” The feud escalated in 2018 when MGK released the diss track “Rap Devil,” which was aimed at Eminem in response to his song “Killshot.”
However, MGK has stated in multiple interviews that he has moved on from the feud and has no interest in reigniting it. He has also expressed admiration for Eminem as an artist, calling him “one of the greatest rappers of all time” in a 2020 interview with Howard Stern.
In conclusion, while Machine Gun Kelly did reference Hailie Jade Mathers in a song lyric, he clarified that it was not intended as a diss towards Eminem or his family. The lyric was meant to convey the feeling of being young and reckless, much like Hailie would have been at 18 years old. Despite speculation from some fans, MGK has stated that he has moved on from his feud with Eminem and has no interest in reigniting it.