MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor born on April 22, 1990. He initially gained recognition in the music scene with mixtapes from 2007 to 2010 before signing with Bad Boy Records. His debut album, Lace Up (2012), was commercially successful, and he continued to release albums blending rap and later pop-punk styles, notably Tickets to My Downfall (2020), which marked a shift to pop-punk and topped the Billboard 200 chart
. MGK has also pursued acting, appearing in films like Beyond the Lights (2014), Bird Box (2018), and portraying Tommy Lee in The Dirt (2019). He has also co-directed the film Good Mourning (2022)
. He grew up moving frequently due to his parents being missionaries, faced a challenging childhood with family issues, and found solace in hip-hop from a young age. MGK is known for his rapid-fire lyrical delivery, which inspired his stage name, Machine Gun Kelly, after a prohibition-era gangster
. He has a daughter born in 2009 and has been publicly known for his relationship with actress Megan Fox, to whom he got engaged in January 2022
. MGK is open about his past struggles with drug use and often incorporates themes of addiction and personal hardship into his music
