Colson Baker, better known by his stage name Machine Gun Kelly (mgk), recently discussed his father’s troubled past and how it has influenced his life. Speaking on the Dumb Blonde podcast, Kelly opened up about his father, who was tried for the murder of his own father and passed away on July 5, 2020.
Kelly, who spent his childhood moving around the world due to his parents being Christian missionaries, learned to speak Arabic before English when he lived in Egypt as a toddler. He also spent some time in Kenya and Germany. Kelly described his dad as being tormented by “some of the most insane stuff that I can imagine a kid can go through.” In contrast, he described his mother as more stoic.
Kelly admitted that he used to get angry at his dad for having emotional outbursts and for getting scared easily. However, he has since come to the realization that his father’s emotions were his strength. Kelly shared that he wished he could have told his dad that he was inspired by his emotional nature.
When Kelly’s father was murdered, he and his grandmother were both tried for the crime and were subsequently acquitted. Kelly reflected on the incident, stating that it is hard to imagine a child being on trial at nine years old for the murder of their father.
Kelly also brought up his relationship with his mother, who left the family when he was young. Although he initially misrepresented her early in his career, he feels that he didn’t give the masses a chance to understand her truth. While he spoke of the hurt caused by her leaving the family, the two have since reconciled.
Despite the pain and trauma that Kelly has had to endure, he has found success as a rapper-turned-pop-punk-turned country star. He released a collaboration with Jelly Roll called “Lonely Road” last month. His emotional nature has been a driving force behind his artistry, and he has learned to channel his experiences and emotions into his music
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