Machine Gun Kelly Artistfacts

April 22, 1990
Born Colson Baker in Houston, Texas, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) grew up in a challenging environment. His early life was marked by struggles: his mother abandoned the family when he was 9, and his father dealt with depression and unemployment. MGK found solace in music and began his journey as a rapper and songwriter.
Machine Gun Kelly adopted his moniker from a notorious Prohibition-era gangster. But he rose to fame on the strength of his 2006 mixtape Stamp of Approval, not a Tommy Gun. His raw talent caught the ears of industry giant Sean "Diddy" Combs, who signed him to Bad Boy records.
Beyond music, MGK ventured into acting, starting with a role in the independent film Beyond the Lights in 2014. He later joined the cast of Cameron Crowe's Roadies and landed a gig in Netflix' hit Bird Box, expanding his audience beyond the music world. In 2019 he played Tommy Lee in the Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt.
MGK's journey wasn't without controversy. A 2018 online feud with rap legend Eminem sparked a series of diss tracks, attracting significant attention but ultimately showcasing the competitive nature of the hip-hop industry.
Starting off as a pure rap and hip-hop artist, MGK later branched out, experimenting with rock, pop, and punk influences. This sonic shift unfolded across three albums: Hotel Diablo (2019), Tickets to My Downfall (2020) and Mainstream Sellout (2022).
MGK met actress Megan Fox while working on the Midnight in the Switchgrass movie set, and they continued spending time together even after filming was halted due to COVID-19. Their connection deepened, and they went official on Instagram in July 2020.

MGK and Megan ended their romantic relationship in late November 2024, shortly after announcing Fox's pregnancy. They welcomed their first child together - a daughter born on March 27, 2025 - as platonic co-parents.
Machine Gun Kelly's parents were Christian missionaries, which led to a nomadic early childhood. He spent his first years in various countries, including Egypt, where he learned to speak Arabic before English. The family also lived in Kenya and Germany.
MGK and Megan Fox named their daughter Saga. Her name carries layers of meaning. Saga is a Norse goddess, but MGK was drawn to the word's definition as "epic story," a nod to the long and meaningful journey it took to bring her into the world.

MGK is also father to another daughter, Casie Colson Baker, born in 2009, whom he shares with his ex, Emma Cannon.
MGK joked to Jimmy Fallon that Jim Carrey was basically his surrogate father figure growing up, and his own "rubbery face" was molded by hours of mimicking Carrey's antics. He can still recite a disturbingly accurate monologue from Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

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