Colson Baker, better known by his stage as Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), was born on April 22, 1990, and is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is renowned for blending hip-hop and alternative rock.
Before joining with Bad Boy Records, Machine Gun Kelly released four mixtapes between 2007 and 2010. In 2012, he released Lace Up, his debut studio album, which featured his breakthrough single “Wild Boy” and reached number four on the US Billboard 200. (featuring Waka Flocka Flame). Similar financial success was experienced by his second and third albums, General Admission (2015) and Bloom (2017); the latter featured the single “Bad Things” (with Camila Cabello), which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
2020 saw the release of Machine Gun Kelly’s fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall, which represented a complete transition from hip-hop to pop punk. It was the only rock album to start at number one on the Billboard 200 that year, and it featured the single “My Ex’s Best Friend,” which peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100. With its follow-up, Mainstream Sellout, he experienced comparable commercial success (2022).
