mgk

With a rapid-fire approach to his verses, the Cleveland-based singer, songwriter, and actor mgk achieved sudden prominence in late 2011 after shifting from independent mixtape releases to major-label affiliations. The rapper subsequently attained widespread fame, as every studio album reached the Top Ten on the charts. Subsequent developments included a public dispute with Eminem, motion-picture roles, and television appearances, while the intense lyrical style heard on 2019’s Hotel Diablo gave way to a propulsive emo-rock direction through partnerships with Travis Barker and on the Barker-produced 2020 release Tickets to My Downfall, which ascended to the top of the Billboard 200. Further joint work with Barker yielded 2022’s Mainstream Sellout, again claiming the number-one position on the Billboard 200 and securing mgk’s initial Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. In 2024, mgk joined forces with Trippie Redd on the collaborative EP genre: sadboy.

Originally named Colson Baker and born in Texas before growing up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, mgk—also known as Machine Gun Kelly—started creating music during his teenage years and drew attention in 2009 as the first rapper to claim victory on amateur night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. A sequence of mixtapes followed, among them 100 Words and Running, Lace Up, and Rage Pack; a 2011 showcase at South by Southwest led directly to an introduction to Sean Combs. He affixed his signature to Combs’s Bad Boy imprint that evening and issued the single “Wild Boy” on the label later that year. The recording included guest vocals from Waka Flocka Flame, and mgk’s debut album Lace Up appeared in 2012. Around the same period he entered an agreement with Young & Restless to develop a clothing line. The Black Flag mixtape surfaced in 2013, boasting contributions from French Montana, Pusha T, Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa, and Sleeping with Sirens’ Kellin Quinn.

In 2015 mgk delivered his second album General Admission, an introspective and autobiographical project that reached number four on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He unveiled the single “Bad Things” in 2016; the duet with former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello marked the first Top Ten hit for each performer. During 2017 mgk put out his third full-length Bloom. Beyond “Bad Things,” the set contained pairings with Hailee Steinfeld on “At My Best,” Quavo and Ty Dolla $ign on “Trap Paris,” James Arthur on “Go for Broke,” and DubXX on “Moonwalkers.” Bloom entered the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and climbed to number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

After the gold-certified Bloom, mgk obtained an unforeseen lift in 2018 when Eminem revived a disagreement that originated in 2012 from casual remarks concerning the Detroit rapper’s daughter. Eminem’s Kamikaze cut “Not Alike” contained a pointed reference to mgk, who promptly answered with the sharp diss track “Rap Devil.” Amid widespread media coverage the latter song advanced into the upper reaches of the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop chart and climbed to number 13 on the Hot 100. Capitalizing on the sudden visibility, mgk issued the EP Binge, a somber, trap-oriented collection that returned to a concentrated lyrical style and clever wordplay. Free of the high-profile guests that characterized Bloom—with the sole exception of rapper 24hrs—Binge debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and also registered on charts in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Broadening his credits in 2019, mgk portrayed Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in The Dirt, a stylized film recounting the ascent and decline of the hair-metal group. That May he released the single “Hollywood Whore,” the initial preview of his fourth album Hotel Diablo. Arriving that July, the reflective project offered further singles “El Diablo” and “I Think I’m Okay,” along with appearances by Lil Skies, Trippie Redd, Yungblud, and Travis Barker.

Following Hotel Diablo, mgk’s attention divided more evenly between music and acting. On the musical front the rock-oriented Travis Barker collaboration “I Think I’m Okay” prompted additional joint recordings and ultimately Barker’s role as executive producer on the fifth album Tickets to My Downfall. The singles preceding the record represented a decisive departure from the artist’s prior hip-hop-rooted sound. In April 2020 mgk unveiled “Bloody Valentine,” an energetic and melodic emo-pop track accented with synth elements. Later singles “Concert for Aliens” and a cover of “Misery Business” continued the stylistic shift. Tickets to My Downfall arrived in late September 2020 and became mgk’s first number-one album. In March 2021 he reached number eight on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart with the non-album single “DayWalker” featuring Corpse Husband. Early 2022 brought the grunge-inflected rocker “Papercuts,” the lead single from his sixth studio album.

Originally announced as Born with Horns, the project was renamed Mainstream Sellout and reunited mgk with Barker as co-producer. It incorporated numerous guest appearances, including two tracks with Lil Wayne, an interlude by comedian and actor Pete Davidson, and contributions throughout from Willow, blackbear, Gunna, Bring Me the Horizon, and others. Mainstream Sellout emerged in March 2022, topping both the Billboard 200 and the Top Rock Albums charts while earning the artist his first Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. That same year he starred in the semi-autobiographical film Taurus, for which he also created the title track featuring co-star Naomi Wild. A standalone single, “Pressure,” surfaced in May 2023. In March 2024 mgk collaborated with Ohio rapper and occasional collaborator Trippie Redd on the joint EP genre: sadboy. The concise release centered on themes of depression and mental-health challenges and entered the Billboard 200 at number 30.