The Unfiltered Evolution of Machine Gun Kelly

Look, being born in 1990 means we’ve seen a lot of artists try to “pivot,” but nobody does it quite like Colson Baker. The man we know as Machine Gun Kelly didn’t just stumble into the spotlight with a guitar and a pink aesthetic. His story starts in Houston, though he spent his early years bouncing around the globe because his parents were missionaries. Eventually, he landed in Cleveland, Ohio, where the grit of his surroundings started to bleed into his music.

His early life was defined by instability and poverty, themes that became the backbone of his lyrics. The nickname “Machine Gun Kelly” wasn’t just a gimmick: it was a badge of honor earned in the local underground scene for a rap delivery that was faster than most people could think.

The Harlem Breakthrough and the Bad Boy Era

The real turning point happened in 2009. Imagine a white kid from Cleveland walking into the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem and actually winning the talent competition. He was the first rapper to ever do it. That win put him on Diddy’s radar, leading to a deal with Bad Boy Entertainment and his debut album, Lace Up, in 2012.

The album hit the Top 5 on the Billboard charts immediately. With high-energy tracks like “Wild Boy,” he didn’t just build a fanbase: he created a movement called “EST 19XX”. He was a technical rapper with the soul of a rockstar, citing influences like DMX and Ludacris alongside Kurt Cobain and Blink-182. That duality is why he never quite fit into any single box.

Darkness, Pop Hits, and the Eminem Incident

By 2015, MGK was ready to get real. His second album, General Admission, took a darker turn, focusing on the shadows of fame and his rough childhood. It wasn’t built for the radio: it was built for the fans who valued lyrical depth over catchy hooks.

However, the industry eventually came calling for those hooks. In 2017, he released bloom, which featured the massive pop-rap crossover “Bad Things” with Camila Cabello. It proved he could play the mainstream game, even while he was busy rebelling against the very industry that was making him a star.

Then came 2018. If you were online at all, you saw the beef with Eminem. After being called out on Kamikaze, MGK fired back with “Rap Devil”. While the hip-hop world argued over who won the battle, the move solidified MGK’s reputation as a rebel who wasn’t afraid to take on the giants.

The Travis Barker Connection and the Genre Flip

The transition to rock wasn’t as sudden as it seemed. 2019’s Hotel Diablo was a rap record, but it was heavily experimental and featured his first major collaborations with Travis Barker.

In 2020, MGK did the unthinkable: he dropped the mic and picked up a guitar for Tickets to My Downfall. At a time when pop-punk was considered a relic of the early 2000s, he triggered a massive revival. The album went to #1, proving that his punk attitude was more than just a costume.

He doubled down in 2022 with Mainstream Sellout, collaborating with everyone from Willow Smith to Bring Me The Horizon. During this time, his personal life, especially his relationship with Megan Fox, became a media circus, turning him into a genuine pop culture icon.

Credibility in the Chaos

MGK’s most recent project, the 2024 EP genre: sadboy with Trippie Redd, shows him leaning back into a melancholic, atmospheric rap style while keeping the rock elements alive.

Here is my take: most artists who switch genres are labeled as “fakes.” MGK escaped that trap because he was never “just” a rapper or “just” a punk. He’s a guy who refused to let the industry’s labels define him. Whether you love the pink hair or miss the Cleveland rap days, you have to respect the hustle of someone who can stand in multiple worlds and maintain his credibility. He’s the ultimate hybrid.

And if you never seen one of his songs he “recorded” during COVID Lockdown you have missed something big imo.

Are you still bumping the rap era MGK, or did you join the movement when the guitars came out? Let’s talk about it.