At this year’s SXSW, SPIN is unveiling its NFT Marketplace of iconic covers starting with Machine Gun Kelly. Shirtless, tatted, and airborne in white combat boots and his signature pink Schecter guitar in hand, Kelly is on the brink of the next big pop-punk wave. SPIN saw that coming. In November 2020, it was the first major U.S. publication to put Kelly on a cover — a controversial move as the Ohio-raised rapper was just beginning to unleash his new sound. SPIN Creative Director Danny Klein designed custom typography inspired by early ’80s skate and punk culture, which he hand wrote on Kelly’s head for the shoot and also designed into the final cover. “I also wanted to capture elements from two classic SPIN covers — Rancid from 1995, and the Flea-jumping-cover from 2002,” Klein said.