Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly is the stage name of American musician and actor Colson Baker, whose combination of hip-hop, hard-rock, and pop influences resulted in a slew of platinum awards throughout the 2010s and beyond. He was born in Houston, Texas, on April 22, 1990, and grew up loving hardcore rock bands, punk icons, and rappers. He received his big break in 2009, when he became the first white rapper to win a talent contest at Harlem's notorious Apollo Theatre. After releasing mix tapes like 2010's 100 Words and Running and 2011's Rage Pack, he reached number 9 on Billboard's Top Hip-Hop Albums chart with 2012's Half Naked & Almost Famous EP, then climbed to number 4 on the Billboard 200 with his full-length album, Lace Up, later that year. General Admission followed in 2015, debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and Number 1 on the R&B Charts. Both albums earned gold certifications in the US, as did 2016's Bloom, which featured the quintuple-platinum hit "Bad Things." A duet with pop star Camila Cabello, "Bad Things" became a Top 40 single in seven additional countries. The follow-up singles "At My Best," "The Break Up," and "27" all went platinum or gold, as well, confirming Machine Gun Kelly's status as one of the decade's biggest stars. He maintained his success with 2019's Hotel Diablo, then earned his first platinum plaque for a studio album with 2020's Tickets to My Downfall. Its popularity boosted by the triple-platinum single "My Ex's Best Friend," the album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200, as did its follow-up, Mainstream Sellout, in 2022. Building on the raw energy of Mainstream Sellout, he teamed up with Trippie Redd for the Genre: Sadboy EP in March 2024, featuring the singles “Lost Boys” and “Beauty,” and brought them to life live with free shows in New York City and Columbus. He then pushed forward with a freestyle rap cover of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” before dropping the introspective pop single “Cliché” in May 2025. Setting the stage for his next chapter, he unveiled his forthcoming album Lost Americana—daubed with cinematic flair and even introducing a Bob Dylan–narrated trailer—released in August 2025.