"Not every opportunity is worth it" - Internet reacts to Machine Gun Kelly refusing to audition for “Sinners” because he needed to say the n-word

On July 31, Machine Gun Kelly appeared on The Pat McAfee Show podcast, where the Wild Boy rapper spoke about being invited to audition for Ryan Coogler's horror hit Sinners.

Opening up about his willingness to work in movies, MGK said on the podcast:

"There's been plenty of movies that come out that I'm like, ‘Ah, I was supposed to be in that.’ Or, ‘Oh, I did auditions for that.’ Like Sinners, I was supposed to be in that."

He then described the character he was supposed to audition for and explained why he ended up rejecting it. Kelly continued:

"The vampire — they had me set up to do the audition— it’s the one that’s in the house, so he’s the second vampire, the one that the guy comes and eats the family. In the audition, he has to say the ‘n-word’ and I wouldn’t do it."

A clip from the interview, featuring MGK's statement, was posted on X by XXL Mag on Saturday, August 2, and has since gone viral, garnering over 1.1 million views. Netizens have been reacting to it, with one of them commenting:

Some netizens called Machine Gun Kelly's decision "admirable," appealing to the media outlets to cover the rapper more.

"this is admirable because it's showcasing his humility & the love he has for people in general not just people of color but i hope ya'll consider sharing more of mgk in general because you never post him or his accomplishments & then when you do, this is what you choose to bring light too... idk, just a lil weird" commented an X user. "Glad he didn’t have the opportunity to make it awful" added another. "His daughter is bi racial …probably the biggest reason. But yall be clowns and trash the dude for having integrity" wrote a third one.

Meanwhile, others appeared to have found MGK's absence in Sinners to have worked in its favor.

"But no white man in the movie says that word except the clan leader. Am I wrong?" questioned a fourth user. "Glad he didn't ruin that movie lmao" replied a fifth one. "Dodged a bullet. Guy they chose did a great job" posted a sixth netizen.

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A song from Machine Gun Kelly's new album will feature as ESPN's anthem in the upcoming college football season

Besides his viral statement about the Sinners audition, Machine Gun Kelly is also making headlines for a new song from his upcoming album, Lost Americana.

A single from the album, titled Don't Wait Run Fast, was announced by ESPN earlier this week on July 31 as the official anthem for its coverage of the 2025-2026 College Football Season.

With the collaboration, MGK joins a lineup of artists, including Jelly Roll, Marshmello, Juice WRLD, and Post Malone, who have previously teamed up with the network for college football coverage.

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Machine Gun Kelly's upcoming (seventh) studio album, Lost Americana, is set to drop next week on August 8. It will feature 13 tracks, including Don't Wait Run Fast.

Edited by Shubham Soni