Rap music is a genre native to the African American community, but sometimes someone from another race comes along and proves that it is an art that transcends race. Eminem did it, and now Machine Gun Kelly does too. The growing popularity and career of the Cleveland rapper prove that rap can be a legitimate means of expression for all races.
Machine Gun Kelly Biography
Richard Colson Baker, known by his stage name Machine Gun Kelly, was born on April 22, 1990, in Houston, Texas.
In a political structure that makes overcoming a difficult childhood an exclusive story for black artists, it is also a shared story of Machine Gun Kelly. Despite an early childhood in which he settled in various countries around the globe, a bitter childhood developed that began when his mother abandoned him and his father. The pain of losing his wife drove his father into depression and finally into unemployment. It was a fall from grace for the musician. Not being able to make many friends because he spent his formative years moving from place to place, the young artist became the unfortunate victim of bullying when he and his father settled in Denver, Colorado. This drove him to find comfort in rap music, finding comfort in the words of Eminem, DMX, and Ludacris.
He pursued his interest in the genre and became a rapper. He released three studio albums and a few mixtapes. He is also an actor and has starred in several films, including Never, Bird Bxd, and Viral. He has been nominated for and won several awards, including a Billboard Music Award nomination and an MTV Europe Music Award.
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Career
Both Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) and his father returned to Cleveland after a short stay in Kuwait. In Cleveland, MGK attended Shaker Heights High School. His stage name Machine Gun Kelly was given to him by his fans because of his fast shooting. In 2006 he released his first mixtape, Stamp of Approval.
MGK’s first mixtape was his introduction for rap enthusiasts, and luckily for him, his first impression was a successful one. His mixtape was well received by listeners, especially in the Cleveland rap scene, and not long after that, he received invitations to express himself to enthusiastic fans at local concerts.
He made music in his home studio, which he called “Rage Cage”, and his popularity grew when he appeared on MTV2’s Sucker Free Freestyle, where he freestyled several verses from his single “Chip off the Block”. In February 2010 Baker released his second mixtape 100 Words and Running, where he got his slogan “Lace Up”. Even though his popularity increased, this did not lead to commercial success for him, and he still had to work at Chipotle to afford the rent after his father threw him out after his high school graduation.
In 2011 Machine Gun Kelly attended his first SXSW show in Austin, Texas, and signed a record deal with Bad Boys Records after being approached by Sean Combs. His first EP, Half Naked & Almost Famous, debuted in 2012 at the age of 46 on the Billboard 200.
The EP was followed by his debut album Lace Up in 2012, which debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200.
Machine Gun Kelly’s career has continued to grow steadily but slowly since his entry into the rap scene. In 2018, he released his third studio album Bloom, which debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from the critics.
As his influences he names DMX and Eminem as well as the rock bands Blink-182 and Guns N’ Roses. Outside of music, the rapper has tried his hand at acting, making his film debut in Beyond the Lights in 2014, and has since appeared in several films and television shows.
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Machine Gun Kelly: Wife, Baby Mama
Almost like a rite of passage for rappers, Machine Gun Kelly, like many rappers before him, has a baby mama. Unfortunately, not much is known about Machine Gun Kelly’s baby mama, except for the fact that her name is Emma Cannon, but he has not shied away from declaring his love for their daughter Casie, who was born in 2008.
Although the rapper has dated several women since his popularity, including Amber Rose, it is believed that he is currently single and unmarried.
Net Worth
Machine Gun Kelly may have a few more high-flying moments in his career ahead of him, but with three successful albums in his career to date and several hit singles, the rapper is doing many things right, which is reflected in his current net worth of $8 million. A long way from the man who used to work at Chipotle to earn rent.
