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Machine Gun Kelly blazes punk-rap path
By John Benson
During a recent phone call, Colson Baker was just another dad heading out to pick up his kid from school. However, domesticity was fleeting for Baker considering his alter ego, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), had to quickly get to the airport to catch a plane to Los Angeles.
Such is the life of Cleveland’s own hip-hop star, who recently released his new album “General Admission.” In addition to touring, including two hometown shows Sunday and Monday at the House of Blues, the 25-year-old performer has added acting to his repertoire.
It’s been a busy few years for the “Lace Up” artist, who not too long ago was working at Tower City’s Sly Airbrush & Design. Today, MGK appears ready to explode.
Q. You were recently among the first American artists to perform in Paris after the recent terrorist attacks. During an acoustic version of your new song “A Little More” at that Nov. 27 concert, something magical happened. Can you elaborate?
A. I’m still blown away. At the time, I had dedicated the song to the victims. We were finishing up the song and some people had cried. You could tell the people were still feeling it. It was really fresh. And out of nowhere, someone just started singing what I found out later was France’s national anthem. And then literally the entire building ended up singing the whole thing holding each other with strangers putting their arms around each other. It was one of the greatest moments of my career. Our music brought those people together to do that.
Q. How does your sophomore effort, “General Admission,” differ from your debut, “Lace Up?”
A. I felt like the first album was rushed, with the pressures of having a label and the hype. I was on drugs at the time, and I didn’t want to deal with it. I wanted to just do what I do best, which is perform live. And on this album, that’s really how I approached it. It took me three years but I really found myself, found my voice in the process of making this album.
Q. Which new song epitomizes the live sound being caught in the recording studio?
A. I’d say “Bad [expletive]” with Kid Rock ... I remember when Kid Rock flew to Cleveland to meet me, he said, “Holy [expletive], I’m looking at me 20 years ago.” I thought that was an amazing compliment. That’s who I want to be right now, a young dude who doesn’t give a (expletive), making great music and putting on for an area that nobody else gives a (expletive) about.