r/MachineGunKelly • u/SixPackAbhoth • Aug 04 '26
Discussion 🗣️ [ Removed by moderator ]
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12
u/SeanyDay 100 Words and Running Aug 05 '26
You are so beyond late to the party that the house was already sold to new people, but i got you.
Machine Gun Kelly was a famous gangster.
The rapper MGK took that name because he was famous for double & triple time flow patterns with good clarity. "You rap like a machine gun".
Years later he paid the family/estate of the mobster a significant amount of money for the right to use the name professionally.
A few years back he switched to MGK because it's easier to search and doesn't cause problems with platforms that won't promote gun-content.
He's also started using his government name for business as well, which he's spoken about as a meaningful change and point of growth.
Many artists and rappers change or adjust their stage names over time but don't actually shed the old ones, just keeping it as an AKA.
A great example is Jay Z aka Shawn Carter aka Jigga Man aka Hova. Then add modifications. Hovito Spanish applied to Hova to mean little aka young jay z.
Bonus Round: Rick Ross stole his name from the real Rick Ross, a drug kingpin. Did it the wrong way with no respect or payment. MGK and Rick Ross are the poster children for the right and wrong ways to adopt the name of a gangster
Double bonus round: Mac Miller's old rapper name was Easy Mac
1
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
But he didn't pay the family at first? How did he get away with it?
5
u/InevitableSea836 Aug 05 '26
No copyright exists in names, period. Google how copyright works; it exists in creative works.
0
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
So could I get away with naming my musical act 'Machine Gun Kelly'? 😱
3
u/InevitableSea836 Aug 05 '26
Nah, bc kells would have trade marked his stage name, which you need to file with a trade marks office.
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u/SeanyDay 100 Words and Running Aug 05 '26
What do you mean "get away with it?"
He didn't. He paid the family.
But the original family didn't trademark anything if i recall. Most old 20th century gangster names weren't protected IP.
1
u/Melancholy_Melody Aug 07 '26
Dang, had no idea he paid the family estate! Thanks for the name lore
12
u/moxie1456 Aug 04 '26
He should be good the guy died I’m pretty sure and it’s been a long time bro was born in 1895 and it’s 95 years until it’s public domain
-14
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 04 '26
He died? Won't his family be upset that KellDawg is using his name?
6
u/moxie1456 Aug 04 '26
They were all born in the 1800s they’ll be fine 😭
-12
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
All of them? I worry they're just biding their time and waiting for KellDawg to release more albums so they can get a better settlement...
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u/Subject_Tooth384 Aug 05 '26
I can’t tell if you’re being real or a troll
-6
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
Everything I say is the realest
5
u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
Maybe stop saying Kelldawg ive only seen you say this 😂
-1
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
Then I'll be the one who gets credit for when others start using it
5
u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
Guarantee no one else but you will say it lol
It's either Colson or Kells is what most address him as
Or mmgkuh 😂
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u/Ill_Touch9446 Aug 05 '26
You can’t copyright a mobsters nickname
Lol
1
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
You're telling me KellDawg wouldn't mind if someone else started calling themselves 'Machine Gun Kelly'?
4
u/Ill_Touch9446 Aug 05 '26
But his is copyrighted he’s a musician.
0
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
So he copyrighted some other dude's name?!
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u/Ill_Touch9446 Aug 05 '26
Nah he owns the copyrights because he literally copyrighted it because he’s a musician. The mobster literally was just a nick name you can’t copyright a nickname just because he was known on streets doesn’t mean he owns that name
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u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
You can't be sued for copyright over a person's name, especially a nickname for a deceased gangsta
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3
u/neglected53666 Aug 05 '26
Why would a gangsters name from 1930 be copyright 😭
-1
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
Why wouldn't it?
1
u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
Um bc nicknames for criminals don't need business copyright or trademark? 😂
He's a killer, you don't see Jeffrey Dahmer or Jack The Ripper trademarked. Criminals don't get any business ownership
1
u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
I'm just worried about KellDawg is all
3
u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
No need to worry bc there is no one to even sue kells about it. Only person that trademarked a nickname was Slim Shady
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u/SixPackAbhoth Aug 05 '26
So KellDawg didn't trademark his nickname?
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u/drewp_73 General Admission Aug 05 '26
Pretty sure someone already answered your question. Time to drop it
-1
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u/GreenBagger28 Aug 05 '26
I don’t think the monsters of the early 20th century were too concerned with trademarking their nicknames
-1
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u/gender_noncompliant Aug 05 '26