Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK for short, is an American rapper who rose to fame in the early 2000s.¹

In addition to popular rap hits like Cleveland, MGK may be best known for transitioning his music career from rap to pop punk, releasing Tickets to My Downfall in the new genre in 2020.

Two years later, the move paid off, as MGK earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album for his pop-punk album Mainstream Sellout.²

If you want to experience the popular style of this unique artist, find Machine Gun Kelly tickets on AXS.

MGK was born Richard Colson Baker on April 22, 1990. He was born in Houston, Texas, to missionary parents who moved his family to many different places throughout his childhood, including Egypt and Germany. In his teens, the family returned to the U.S., and in middle school, Machine Gun Kelly developed a passion for listening to rap music.¹

At 19, Richard Baker performed for the first time at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in a music competition. He would enter and then win two of these competitions. During one competition, he was even noticed by a scout from MTV for his freestyle. At the same time, he began recording music in his home studio, which he called the “Rage Cage.”¹

MGK’s fame increased after he was featured on MTV2’s Sucker Free Freestyle. He began releasing his music a short time later and by 2011, had signed with his first record label.¹

Since his early music competition wins, Machine Gun Kelly has won a number of awards, including:

• Billboard Music Award — Top Rock Artist (2021): MGK won this award 15 years after releasing his first mixtape, marking the first big award of his career.³
• American Music Awards — Favorite Rock Artist (2021): MGK won this award after his album, Tickets to My Downfall, reached the top of the charts.⁴
• People’s Choice Country Awards — Best Crossover Song (2024): After partnering with Jelly Roll, MGK won this award for their song Lonely Road.⁵

Throughout his diverse career, Machine Gun Kelly has had a number of standout hits and albums. Here is an overview of his biggest hits:

• Bad Things (2016): This was MGK’s first song to reach the top-10 hit on the U.S. charts, where it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.⁶
• Rap Devil (2018): This song was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks, topping out on the chart at number 13.⁶
• My Ex’s Best Friend (2020): This song spent 52 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 20.⁶

Machine Gun Kelly’s shows are known for their high energy, dramatic effects, and diverse set lists — when he performed at a Super Bowl party in 2023, he hung upside down from the scaffolding above the stage while belting out one of his hits.⁷

He primarily performs in large arenas, making for even more over-the-top shows. If you want to catch an MGK concert in person, you can purchase Machine Gun Kelly tickets at AXS.

Sources:

1. Biography - MGK
2. Who Is Machine Gun Kelly? - American Songwriter
3. Machine Gun Kelly Celebrates Top Rock Artist Win at 2021 Billboard Music Awards - Billboard
4. Machine Gun Kelly Wins ‘Favorite Rock Artist’ at 2021 AMAs, Says Age of Rock Star ‘Looks Pretty Alive to Me’ - Loudwire
5. Machine Gun Kelly Closes the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards with a Solo Performance of ‘Lonely Road’ - People
6. MGK - Billboard
7. MGK kicks off Lost Americana Tour with a fiery start in Phoenix - Phoenix New Times