Machine Gun Kelly (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids MGK
MGK in 2023
Born	Colson Baker (1990-04-22) April 22, 1990 (age 35) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Other names	Machine Gun Kelly
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter producer actor guitarist
Years active	2006–present
Works	Discography filmography
Partner(s)	Megan Fox (2020–2024)
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Midwestern hip-hop Alternative hip-hop pop rap rap rock pop-punk alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	EST 19XX Bad Boy Interscope
Signature

Colson Baker (born April 22, 1990), known by his stage name MGK, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is famous for his music that blends hip-hop, rock, and pop-punk.

MGK started his career by releasing four mixtapes between 2007 and 2010. In 2011, he signed a record deal with Bad Boy Records. His first album, Lace Up (2012), was a big success. It reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album included the hit single "Wild Boy".

His next albums, General Admission (2015) and Bloom (2017), were also popular. The song "Bad Things" with Camila Cabello became a top-five hit. In 2018, he released the song "Rap Devil" during a musical rivalry with rapper Eminem.

In 2020, MGK changed his musical style with the album Tickets to My Downfall. This album was a pop-punk project produced by Travis Barker from the band Blink-182. It became his first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. His next album, Mainstream Sellout (2022), had similar success.

Besides music, MGK is also an actor. He has appeared in movies like Beyond the Lights (2014), Nerve (2016), and Bird Box (2018). He also played the role of drummer Tommy Lee in the Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt (2019).

His stage name was inspired by the famous Prohibition-era gangster George "Machine Gun" Kelly Barnes.

Early life

Colson Baker was born on April 22, 1990, in Houston, Texas. His parents were missionaries, so his family moved around a lot. He spent his first four years in Egypt and even learned to speak Arabic before English. He also lived in Kenya, Germany, and different U.S. cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

When he was nine, his mother left, and he moved to Denver with his father to live with his aunt. Life was difficult for Baker, and he was often bullied by other kids in his neighborhood.

He started listening to rap music in middle school. The first rappers who inspired him were Ludacris, Eminem, and DMX. He became a huge fan of hip-hop after hearing DMX's song "We Right Here". He later attended Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Music career

How it all started

MGK's music video for "Alice in Wonderland" in 2010

In 2009, Baker traveled to the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. He won multiple times in a row, becoming the first rapper to do so. He recorded music in his home studio, which he called the "Rage Cage." He gained more attention after appearing on MTV2's Sucker Free Freestyle.

In 2010, he released a mixtape called 100 Words and Running. This is where his catchphrase "Lace Up" came from. Even as his popularity grew, he worked at a Chipotle to pay his rent. During this time, he also became a father.

His first official single, "Alice in Wonderland," came out in May 2010. The song and its music video won awards at the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards. Later that year, he released another mixtape, also called Lace Up. It featured the song "Cleveland," which was played at Cleveland Cavaliers home games.

In March 2011, he performed at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. There, he met Sean Combs (also known as P. Diddy), who offered him a contract with Bad Boy Records.

2012–2015: First albums

Performing in Pittsburgh in March 2013

MGK's first studio album, Lace Up, was released on October 9, 2012. The album's lead single, "Wild Boy", became his first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Another single, "Invincible", was used as a theme song for WrestleMania XXVIII, where MGK also performed.

Lace Up debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 57,000 copies in its first week. The album featured many famous artists, including DMX, Tech N9ne, and Waka Flocka Flame.

In 2013, MGK released a free mixtape called Black Flag. He then began working on his second album. In 2015, he released the song "Till I Die" and later a remix with the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. His second album, General Admission, was released in late 2015.

2016–2019: New sounds and Hotel Diablo

Performing at RiP in 2017

In late 2016, MGK released "Bad Things" with singer Camila Cabello. The song was a huge hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2017, MGK was scheduled to tour with the band Linkin Park. The tour was canceled after the death of their lead singer, Chester Bennington. MGK paid tribute to him by performing a cover of Linkin Park's song "Numb".

Performing at the 2018 Summerfest in Milwaukee

In 2018, MGK became involved in a famous musical rivalry with rapper Eminem. MGK released a song called "Rap Devil" in response to a track from Eminem's album Kamikaze. "Rap Devil" quickly topped the iTunes chart. Eminem later responded with his own track.

MGK's fourth album, Hotel Diablo, was released in 2019. It included singles like "El Diablo" and "I Think I'm Okay", a pop-punk song with Yungblud and Travis Barker. The album reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.

2020–2023: A shift to pop-punk

MGK decided to create a full pop-punk album with Travis Barker as the producer. The album, titled Tickets to My Downfall, was released on September 25, 2020. Its first single, "Bloody Valentine", was very popular. The album also featured the hit song "My Ex's Best Friend" with Blackbear.

Tickets to My Downfall debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, a first for MGK. It was the only rock album to reach the top spot that year. In January 2021, he released a musical film called Downfalls High based on the album.

His next album, Mainstream Sellout, was released in 2022. It continued the pop-punk sound and also reached number one on the charts. The album featured the single "Emo Girl" with singer Willow.

2024–present: New projects

In March 2024, MGK and rapper Trippie Redd released a joint project called Genre: Sadboy. To promote it, they performed two free concerts for their fans.

On August 8, 2025, MGK released his album Lost Americana. The album's trailer was narrated by the legendary musician Bob Dylan.

Acting career

MGK began his acting career in 2014. He often uses his birth name, Colson Baker, for his movie roles.

His first film was the romantic drama Beyond the Lights (2014), where he played a rapper. In 2016, he appeared in the thriller Nerve and had a main role in the TV series Roadies.

In 2018, he acted alongside Sandra Bullock in the Netflix horror film Bird Box. One of his most famous roles was playing drummer Tommy Lee in The Dirt (2019), a movie about the rock band Mötley Crüe.

He also appeared in the superhero movie Project Power (2020) with Jamie Foxx. In 2022, he co-directed and starred in the comedy film Good Mourning.

Personal life

MGK has a daughter named Cassie, who was born in July 2009 from a previous relationship.

He has been open about facing personal challenges in his life and has sought help to overcome them. In a 2012 interview, he said he identifies as an anarchist, which means he believes people can govern themselves without formal rulers.

In 2020, he began a relationship with actress Megan Fox. The two met while filming the movie Midnight in the Switchgrass. They were engaged for a time before calling it off in 2024. The couple has a daughter, born on March 27, 2025.

Discography

Studio albums

• Lace Up (2012)
• General Admission (2015)
• Bloom (2017)
• Hotel Diablo (2019)
• Tickets to My Downfall (2020)
• Mainstream Sellout (2022)
• Lost Americana (2025)

Filmography

Film

For film roles, he is credited as Colson Baker unless otherwise noted.

Television & video games

See also

In Spanish: Machine Gun Kelly (músico) para niños