MGK x Dylan: The Crossover No One Saw Coming

Exploring the unlikely story behind one of music’s most surprising collaborations.

This is a guest post by Daily Dylan Social Media Manager Michael Sülflow!

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In recent months, an unexpected alliance has emerged between rapper Machine Gun Kelly and none other than Bob Dylan. It all began with a video Dylan posted on Instagram in late February — a platform he now uses regularly to share archival material. While that in itself isn’t unusual in 2025, the choice of artist certainly caught many by surprise.

The unlikely bond has since reached a striking peak: Dylan narrates the trailer for MGK’s upcoming album. So how did this “bromance” unfold over the past few months? And what are the theories behind how these two artists crossed paths?

Here’s a timeline of events — and a few attempts at explaining them.

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February 27, 2025: Bob Dylan posts a video on his Instagram of MGK performing in a record store in 2016. Later that evening, MGK reacts on his own Instagram story, clearly stunned and honored by the gesture.

MGK also drops a cheeky comment on Dylan’s post: “The coolest part is that Bob Dylan has a phone.”

April 17: MGK sends a note to Stereogum, calling Dylan’s classic “Like a Rolling Stone” “the ultimate ‘get on my motorcycle and ride to nowhere’ song.”

May 17: MGK posts on X that he had the honor of meeting someone backstage at the Hollywood Bowl the night before, during the Outlaw Music Tour. He doesn’t name names — but given that he references the 2016 music video in the tweet, it's clear he's talking about Bob Dylan.

May 22: MGK posts a carousel of personal moments on Instagram. The final slide features a photo of Bob Dylan performing in L.A., confirming that the unnamed artist in his earlier post was, in fact, Dylan.

May 23: MGK releases the single “Cliché“ — which includes the lyric: “Baby, I’m a rolling stone.”

June 10: MGK releases the trailer for his upcoming album, Lost Americana, across his social channels. It features a distinctive voice-over from Bob Dylan — though MGK keeps it mysterious in the caption: “Trailer narrated by....”

He also shares a throwback photo of Dylan from the 1960s in his Instagram story.

This is the transcript of Bob‘s voice-over for the MGK album trailer (thanks to Britt Eisnor):

„Lost Americana” is a personal excavation of the American Dream. A journey to find what’s been lost. This album is a love letter to those who seek to rediscover—the dreamers, the drifters, the defiers.

It’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention, and a quest to reclaim the authentic essence of American freedom.

From the gold neon diners, to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces where the past is reimagined—and the future is forged on your own terms.

So how did this unlikely bond – described by Pitchfork as nothing less than a “love affair” – actually come to be?

Several theories have been proposed:

Ray Padgett, for instance, speculates that Dylan may not have been referring to the rapper at all — but to the 1930s gangster who shared the same name.

Anne Margaret Daniel suggests that Dylan may have first noticed Colson Baker — MGK’s real name — after seeing him in a film, which then led him to discover his music.

A final theory brings another musician into the picture: MOD SUN. According to a tweet, MOD SUN was present when MGK met Bob Dylan backstage in L.A. in May 2025. In the weeks that followed, he repeatedly posted references to Dylan — not entirely out of character, considering he had previously recorded a track titled “Song for Bob.”

What makes this particularly interesting is that MOD SUN appears to be friends with Bob’s grandson, Pablo Dylan. The two have performed together at concerts, and MOD SUN was a guest on one of Pablo’s interview formats. Could it be that MGK’s connection to Dylan was made through Pablo?

Perhaps the story between MGK and Bob Dylan isn’t over just yet. Naturally, we’re eager for more details — because plenty of questions remain unanswered. Was there, for instance, a photo of the two taken backstage in L.A.? When and where did Bob record the voice-over — could it have been right there on the tour bus?

We’ll probably never know for sure. But speculating is half the fun.