Machine Gun Kelly (musician)
Colson Baker[2] (born April 22, 1990), known professionally as MGK (formerly Machine Gun Kelly), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is noted for his genre duality across alternative rock with hip hop.
"MGK" redirects here. For other uses, see MGK (disambiguation).
MGK
Machine Gun Kelly
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
- actor
- guitarist
2006–present[1]
1
- Vocals
- guitar
- EST 19XX
- Bad Boy
- Interscope
MGK released four mixtapes between 2007 and 2010 before signing with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Interscope Records the following year. His debut studio album, Lace Up (2012) peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and was led by the single "Wild Boy" (featuring Waka Flocka Flame), which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second and third albums, General Admission (2015) and Bloom (2017) were both met with critical praise and similar commercial success; the latter was supported by the single "Bad Things" (with Camila Cabello), which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. His fourth album, Hotel Diablo (2019) further experimented with rap rock.
MGK's fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall (2020) saw a complete departure from hip-hop in favor of a pop-punk sound and aesthetic, with its production entirely helmed by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. It debuted atop the Billboard 200—becoming the only rock album to do so that year—and was supported by the single "My Ex's Best Friend" (featuring blackbear), which peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Its sequel, Mainstream Sellout (2022) served as his sixth album and matched its commercial success, although critical reception was mixed.[3]
MGK had his first starring role in the romantic drama Beyond the Lights (2014), and since appeared in the techno-thriller Nerve (2016), the horror Bird Box (2018), the comedy Big Time Adolescence and portrayed Tommy Lee in the biopic The Dirt (both 2019).
Early life
Colson Baker was born on April 22, 1990, in Houston, Texas, to Christian missionary parents.[4] Baker and his family moved all around the world and he lived in Egypt for the first 4 years of his life. He also moved to Germany as well as throughout the United States, in Chicago, Denver, and Cleveland.[5] Baker's mother left home when he was nine years old and he and his father moved to Denver to live with Baker's aunt. Baker's father fought depression and unemployment. Baker says he had just two school outfits and that he endured bullying from children in his neighborhood.[6]
He began listening to rap in the sixth grade, when he attended Hamilton Middle School, a school with an ethnically diverse student body in Denver.[7] While he lived in Cleveland, Baker attended Shaker Heights High School.[7]
The first three rappers that got him into the genre of hip hop as a child were Ludacris, Eminem and DMX, with Baker gaining interest in the genre after listening to DMX's "We Right Here" from the album The Great Depression (2001).[8]
Musical style and influences
Baker's musical style has been mainly described as hip hop,[77] pop-rap,[78] and rap rock.[77]
His fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall, marked a change in sound and has been described as pop-punk[77][79] and alternative rock.[80][81]
Baker cites DMX and Eminem as music influences, as well as listening to rock bands Guns N' Roses and Blink-182 during his youth. Baker cites these rap and rock artists as major musical influences.[82] In an interview discussing his collaboration with DMX, Baker called the rapper his idol. He also stated that DMX's music helped him through his troubles while growing up, especially bullying.[83]
Acting career
Baker made his film debut in the 2014 romantic drama Beyond the Lights, where he played a "shallow, self-important" rapper named Kid Culprit.[84] In 2016, he co-starred and co-executive produced the drama film The Land, a Cleveland-set drama produced by fellow rapper Nas.[85] The same year, he had a minor role in the techno-thriller adventure film Nerve with Emma Roberts and Dave Franco; and had a recurring role on the Showtime comedy-drama series Roadies as Wes, a former Pearl Jam roadie.[86][87]
He played Felix in the 2018 Netflix post-apocalyptic horror thriller film Bird Box with Sandra Bullock, and portrayed drummer Tommy Lee in The Dirt, a 2019 Netflix biographical comedy-drama about Mötley Crüe.[88] He played the role of Newt in the 2020 superhero film Project Power opposite Jamie Foxx,[89] and the following year, he co-starred with Bruce Willis and Megan Fox in the crime thriller film Midnight in the Switchgrass; and starred in the action western film The Last Son with Sam Worthington.[2] Baker played the role of "London Clash" in the self-directed film Good Mourning, released in 2022.[90]
Studio albums
Headlining tours
Co-headlining tours
Filmography
Film
For film roles, he is credited as Colson Baker unless otherwise noted.
