How MGK is (not so) quietly becoming one of the most important artists of 2020.
We've all been glued to Instagram for the last 28 days. We've all also said what we would do if we only had more time to do it. Start a book. Finish an album. Paint the kids room. Fix that leaky pipe in the basement. MGK, Richard Colson Baker, I have heard no such words from. He has been all walk, no talk. He has posted almost daily over the course of this pandemic, and every single post has some serious replay value. He's covering Paramore, writing some of his best verses yet on In These Walls, showing off playing drums, piano, multiple guitars, and turns out he can actually hold a tune.
I'm going to brush over his biography (which I'd write poorly anyway). I'm assuming you know most of it if you're these deep on the internet reading some dudes blog you don't know. Let's rewind back 15 years. High school MGK falls in love with hop hop. Okay, Mid-west & white. Impossible not to be compared to the biggest white rapper of all time. But he powered through, continued to drop album after album, each getting progressively better as he cultivated his talent. In between each album; he filled the rest of his time with acting, has credit on 9 movies through 2019. Another 2 slated to drop next year. Not to mention a few year stint appearing in the WWE and a few roles on television as well. Fast forward to 2019.
A very public beef with aforementioned white rapper. What do you do when your Hero's turn human in front of you? (Thanks Soupy). Well, if you're MGK, you bury them. Publicly. You write the second most streamed song of your career, make a video about it while eating cereal, and then laugh all the way to the bank. Then start a project with Travis Barker and Yungblud. In a world where Emo-rap is a thing, Pop Punk bands open tracks by dropping the 808 through to China, and people are rapping through breakdowns; bringing together Barker, Yungblud & MGK doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Said project, with arguably the best pop punk drummer to ever live, and a growing icon in the modern pop spectrum, jumped MGK across genres. It's no secret people bouncing through genres more than ever, but to be able to put out a hit track in multiple genres is still impressive.
So, Let's recap the last couple years; Rap Devil, I Think I'm Okay, Why Are You Here, The Dirt (Netflix Smash Hit), & Captive State. Oh, and his 2019 album, Hotel Diablo (which rips). I'm sure I'm missing shit, but I'm not a fucking encyclopedia. 2020 incoming! Coronavirus. Quarantine. Here's everyones chance to put their money where their mouth is and do something they said they do if "they only just had the time." Everyone is on lockdown from mid-March on. And since then MGK has posted damn near daily, where he initially dropped his PVRIS sampling track: In These Walls (Pretty Toxic Revolver shouldn't be overlooked either).
In the middle of Smoke And Drive (another Instagram hit) when he says "I been a king with the bars but now I can play the guitar and the bass line," I can't help but root for the dude who everyone has been talking shit on for over a decade. He's absolutely taking full advantage of this crisis. He's walking the got damn walk. He's busy as fuck and he's making sure everyone knows it.
He's firing on all cylinders behind the mic, posturing to drop a pop punk record (per his twitter), showing off his multi-instrumental skills (on Instagram), all while upping his social media presence 29% (I believe) according to a recent post, trending #1 on YouTube (during a fucking pandemic!) and collaborating with Barker on a Paramore hit track (where he plays lead guitar) and Yungblud on an Oasis smash from his bathroom! I mean, chill Colson, leave some talent for the rest of us.
He's bending genres, capturing the attention of a bigger audience than ever, and displaying more talent than anyone gave him credit for in the last 14.9 years. There are (hopefully) big things on the horizon for MGK in 2020. I'm absolutely looking forward to his next album: Tickets to My Downfall. A lot of people might taut him only as a "guilty pleasure," but the truth is, I enjoy the shit out of enjoying MGK. Cheers to the Anarchist from Cleveland.
Here are a couple links at the bottom to some (recent) stuff that's definitely worth checking out.
MGK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/machinegunkelly/?hl=en
In These Walls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgrbWfUrO4
MGK & Travis Barker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N4zZL5PEOY
I'm going to brush over his biography (which I'd write poorly anyway). I'm assuming you know most of it if you're these deep on the internet reading some dudes blog you don't know. Let's rewind back 15 years. High school MGK falls in love with hop hop. Okay, Mid-west & white. Impossible not to be compared to the biggest white rapper of all time. But he powered through, continued to drop album after album, each getting progressively better as he cultivated his talent. In between each album; he filled the rest of his time with acting, has credit on 9 movies through 2019. Another 2 slated to drop next year. Not to mention a few year stint appearing in the WWE and a few roles on television as well. Fast forward to 2019.
A very public beef with aforementioned white rapper. What do you do when your Hero's turn human in front of you? (Thanks Soupy). Well, if you're MGK, you bury them. Publicly. You write the second most streamed song of your career, make a video about it while eating cereal, and then laugh all the way to the bank. Then start a project with Travis Barker and Yungblud. In a world where Emo-rap is a thing, Pop Punk bands open tracks by dropping the 808 through to China, and people are rapping through breakdowns; bringing together Barker, Yungblud & MGK doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Said project, with arguably the best pop punk drummer to ever live, and a growing icon in the modern pop spectrum, jumped MGK across genres. It's no secret people bouncing through genres more than ever, but to be able to put out a hit track in multiple genres is still impressive.
So, Let's recap the last couple years; Rap Devil, I Think I'm Okay, Why Are You Here, The Dirt (Netflix Smash Hit), & Captive State. Oh, and his 2019 album, Hotel Diablo (which rips). I'm sure I'm missing shit, but I'm not a fucking encyclopedia. 2020 incoming! Coronavirus. Quarantine. Here's everyones chance to put their money where their mouth is and do something they said they do if "they only just had the time." Everyone is on lockdown from mid-March on. And since then MGK has posted damn near daily, where he initially dropped his PVRIS sampling track: In These Walls (Pretty Toxic Revolver shouldn't be overlooked either).
In the middle of Smoke And Drive (another Instagram hit) when he says "I been a king with the bars but now I can play the guitar and the bass line," I can't help but root for the dude who everyone has been talking shit on for over a decade. He's absolutely taking full advantage of this crisis. He's walking the got damn walk. He's busy as fuck and he's making sure everyone knows it.
He's firing on all cylinders behind the mic, posturing to drop a pop punk record (per his twitter), showing off his multi-instrumental skills (on Instagram), all while upping his social media presence 29% (I believe) according to a recent post, trending #1 on YouTube (during a fucking pandemic!) and collaborating with Barker on a Paramore hit track (where he plays lead guitar) and Yungblud on an Oasis smash from his bathroom! I mean, chill Colson, leave some talent for the rest of us.
He's bending genres, capturing the attention of a bigger audience than ever, and displaying more talent than anyone gave him credit for in the last 14.9 years. There are (hopefully) big things on the horizon for MGK in 2020. I'm absolutely looking forward to his next album: Tickets to My Downfall. A lot of people might taut him only as a "guilty pleasure," but the truth is, I enjoy the shit out of enjoying MGK. Cheers to the Anarchist from Cleveland.
Here are a couple links at the bottom to some (recent) stuff that's definitely worth checking out.
MGK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/machinegunkelly/?hl=en
In These Walls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgrbWfUrO4
MGK & Travis Barker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N4zZL5PEOY
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