Meaning of “El Diablo” by Machine Gun Kelly
This track is half braggadocio and half Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) reflecting on his rise to fame. “El diablo”, when converted from Spanish to English, translates to “the devil”. And during some parts of the song, MGK does present himself as a bad boy, someone who is ready to settle “beef” at a moment’s notice. However, during other junctures of the track the topic turns away from him, such as when he recounts the tale of an ex-girlfriend who is now “out here whoring”. Or he takes a more-humble disposition, such as recalling his pre-fame life when the same girls who sweat him and his homeys today initially wanted nothing to do with him, and seemingly he had to heat water just to have warm water to bathe with.
At the end of the day, it is easy to conclude that when MGK apparently refers to himself as “el diablo”, he is alluding to the violent side of his nature. He’s referring to the part of him which, as displayed in the first verse, is bound to curse all of his haters. But considering that such may not even be the central theme of this track, perhaps he is referring to himself as a ‘white devil’- a popular term in hip-hop which frankly speaking has a negative connotation against White people. However, if this is the case, he clearly is not doing so in the name of dissing himself or his race but rather to let the audience know that yes, “el diablo” has indeed arrived.
Facts about “El Diablo”
- “El Diablo” was co-produced by Nils and Ronny J. The latter also produced MGK’s Eminem diss track, “Rap Devil”. However, this is not indicative of Ronny J having beef with Slim Shady, as he also produced Em’s “Not Alike”, a track in which Eminem also dissed Machine Gun Kelly.
- Meanwhile Machine Gun Kelly is the sole writer of “El Diablo”.
- This is the second single, after “Hollywood Wh**e”, from MGK’s 2019 album “Hotel Diablo.
- “El Diablo” was officially released on 31 May 2019.
