Machine Gun Kelly Debuts Upper Body Blackout Tattoo For Spiritual Purposes

Machine Gun Kelly has unveiled his most dramatic tattoo yet -- a layer of solid black ink across almost his entire upper torso ... and yes, we've confirmed it's the real deal.

The rapper dropped his new look on IG Tuesday ... and you can see that the black ink saturates virtually half of his upper body ... with some of his OG inkings peeking through strategically placed paneled gaps down his arms and in between a cross symbol across his chest.

Machine Gun Kelly's decision to undergo this transformation was a deeply personal one, according to his tattoo artist ROXX who did this job for the artist -- and who tells TMZ that MGK had a "spiritual consultation". We're told he explained to her all his tatts were too chaotic for him now and he was seeking change and order in his life.

This is also something MGK makes clear in his IG caption ... explaining that the blackout cover-up was for "spiritual purposes only." FWIW, Kelly made sure no one could comment.

Oh, and if you're wondering whether it was painful ... ROXX praises him for being the toughest client she's ever had in 30 years. So, safe to say ... it hurt a lot.

Roxx tells us they started the process in mid-Dec with MGK coming to see her at her private L.A. studio 4 days a week for 13 six-hour sessions -- making it one of the biggest projects she's done in such a short time. She's not done yet either ... ROXX says she's got a bit more tattooing to do on him to finish the job.