Machine Gun Kelly and Rook Have Been Performing Together for More Than 10 Years

Some of Machine Gun Kelly's fans know him as a solo performer, but there is a band there to back up his vocals every step of the way. And when he shared something about his longtime drummer, Rook, in his Instagram Stories, there were some questions from those same fans. The post mentioned Rook meeting "the reaper," and many wondered what happened to MGK's drummer.

MGK has been in the music business for years, and Rook has been part of his journey. Rook started out as MGK's drummer when he was just 17, and the pair have toured and performed together ever since. But when an accident put Rook out of commission, he was forced to step back. And for those who don't know what happened to Rook, there are a lot of questions.

On Feb. 20, 2025, MGK shared a photo of himself and Rook on in his Instagram Stories. In text on the screen, he wrote, "My brother finally back! With an iron leg, iron teeth, iron heart. @rookxx met the reaper and decided it wasn't his time. It's been one year without you with us on drums. I missed you so much dumbass."

In May 2024, Rook's dad and friends shared social media posts to explain what happened to the drummer. According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that shared those explanations, Rook was in a bike accident that resulted in "broken bones" and "two months of healing." In February 2025, fans noticed Rook back on-stage with MGK, and after MGK shared posts about it, Rook's return was confirmed.

Although Rook joined MGK's band when he was 17 years old, the pair developed a solid friendship over the years. In 2015, MGK shared a heartfelt Facebook post about his drummer and joked about Rook getting "crazier every day."

"We've been touring the world together since you were 17, and you get crazier every day," MGK wrote at the time. "I know you always say you're gonna petition to have me locked up in a loony bin but this picture says it all — next trip to the bin we're puttin you in. Happy birthday brother #EST4life."

Rook is MGK's longtime drummer and member of his band, but Blink-182's Travis Barker has also worked with MGK a lot over the years. Travis played drums on and produced the songs on MGK's 2020 album Tickets to My Downfall. He also speaks highly of the singer and rapper. And, even though Travis is not officially part of MGK's band that performs behind him at most shows, the pair are close.

"I talked to Trav earlier today. He's one of my best friends. He's a brother," MGK told Grammy's Up Close & Personal in 2021. "Every single time we step in to work with each other, we come out with something better than what we had just done."