Machine Gun Kelly Biography

Richard Colson Baker, known as Machine Gun Kelly or simply MKG, is an American rapper. His career began in a typical way. As a teenager, he was drawn to the hip-hop culture and released a few mixtapes. In 2012 he released his debut album, Lace Up, under Bad Boy Records and Interscope Records and received positive reactions. Additionally, it reached fourth place on the US Billboard 200. In 2015 he released a second album, General Admission, which presented a darker and more complex vibe. He also starred in a few films, including the popular thriller Nerve (2016).

Career Beginnings & Lace Up

As a child, MKG traveled a lot. In grade school, he went through bullying from other children and his father’s depression and unemployment. He found shelter in rap music and admired Ludacris, Eminem, and DMX. During high-school, the future rapper lived in his aunt’s basement and recorded his first demo Stamp of Approval, which later became a mixtape. He got the name Machine Gun Kelly from fans, due to his really quick flow. In 2009 he began performing at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Even though his success was expanding, he had to work at Chipotle a while.

In 2010, the rapper released his debut single Alice in Wonderland on iTunes, along with a music video. He won Best Midwest Artist at the Underground Music Awards and Best Music Video at the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards. One year later he signed with Bad Boy and released a video for Wild Boy, which featured Waka Flocka Flame. The song was later included on his first studio album. Furthermore, he released Invincible which was used twice by WWE. In 2012, his first EP Half Naked & Almost Famous reached number 46 on the Billboard 200. Additionally, he made it into XXL Magazine‘s Top 10 Freshmen list, along with Future, Iggy Azalea, and others. His first official album featured several important artists and sold over 260,000 copies.

Black Flag & General Admission

In 2013, MGK released the mixtape Black Flag which created enormous hype amongst his fans. It featured an appearance from Wiz Khalifa. The rapper then posted a heartwarming message: “This project is dedicated to love, because for my entire life it has been taken from me”. He also advised his followers to find love and fight for it. In 2015 the rapper released 2 singles, Till I Die and A Little More. Together they tell the story of his life, beginning with the streets and ending with his personal and musical growth.

A few months later he released General Admission, which jumped to number 4 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In 2016 his song Make It Happen appeared during the NBA All-Star Game. Furthermore, he released the single Bad Things, a collaboration with Camila Cabello. The song peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is massively trending on Youtube.

Photo credit: Spinrilla