Machine Gun Kelly acted on a “primal” instinct when a fan rushed the stage during the Forbes Under 30 Summit.
“My man, get the f–k away from me,” Kelly — whose real name is Colson Baker — said in video footage from the Tuesday, October 10, event, which showed him jumping up as a person approached the stage.
“Yo, what are you doing? What are you doing?” Kelly, 33, asked the fan as they stood face-to-face. “This is a bad look. Don’t make me do this.”
Security was quick to grab the fan and carry him off stage. The livestream briefly cut out before the sound returned and Kelly issued an apology.
“I’m sorry, I try to live the dichotomy more on this side than the other guy. I left that guy in the past. I’m really sorry,” the “Emo Girl” singer told the crowd, seemingly referring to his display of aggression. “I do apologize for my primal reaction.”
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The audience applauded and the interviewer (Forbes deputy editor Kristin Stoller) praised how “amazingly” Kelly handled the situation before returning to their conversation. Kelly, for his part, went on to spin the incident into a lesson.
“My advice for people who have an idea that want to present it to other creators or people that they believe can be a vessel for their idea is, pick a good time and a place,” Kelly shared, hinting at the fan who went rogue. “This was a bad time and place.”
He went on to give examples of “bad” times to approach him, including when he’s out in public at a restaurant or “being a father” to his 14-year-old daughter, Casie Baker.
“A lot of that is misunderstood, like, these are moments that are owed, but a good businessman knows the time,” he continued. “I think patience is the biggest key to that.”
Machine Gun Kelly speaks during the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit on October 10, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. Taylor Hill/Getty Images
The Forbes Under 30 Summit took place in Kelly’s native Cleveland from Sunday, October 8, to Wednesday, October 11. He was asked to speak about balancing his roles as musician and entrepreneur after opening the 27 Coffee Club shop and restaurant in Cleveland in 2020.
“It’s more than coffee,” he explained. “As a musician and as an artist, I wanted to build a brand that is for creatives.”
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Kelly also announced his forthcoming business venture: launching his own record label. He went on to explain that he’s found success by waiting for the perfect moment to pitch himself and his ideas.
“I would never do that,” he told the crowd, referring once again to the stage storming. “I can’t lie, my energy’s a little scattered from [it] … I empathize and feel for the guy. But there’s a time and a place.”
He added, “I don’t ever want to shoot down anyone’s dream. … As he was getting dragged away, I looked in his eyes and I was like, ‘Ah, you’re a good kid.’”
