Machine Gun Kelly recently opened up about his turbulent upbringing and the moment with his father that changed his life. The rapper and singer, who was born Colson Baker, went on to explain how these experiences have been the driving force behind his passion for music.
In a recent interview with Bunny Xo for the Dumb Blonde podcast, released on August 5, MGK discussed his late father’s early trauma and how it affected his parenting. “I used to always be really angry at him when he was a kid because if I scared him or he heard a loud bang or a loud noise, he would get really, really nervous,” Kelly said.
He recalled that at the time he thought, “Man, you should be a man. Why are you behaving like that?’ That made me hate him. And then you sit there and you think about a kid who was on trial for killing his father at the age of nine.”
With MGK’s father and grandmother in attendance, he explained that his grandfather dropped the gun and his head “actually blew off.” Police found the gun under the bed. After being tried, his father and grandmother were ultimately found not guilty. The 34-year-old rapper revealed that his grandfather had split personality disorder and that “schizophrenia is rampant in that side of the family.”
The Blood Valentine singer said, “I’ve taken on a lot of things, and I think I’ve presented myself as a person who has the stamina to take all of these things that come with fame, criticism and hate.” Since, as MGK explained, he always wanted his father to be tough, “shake off everything” and fight everyone who came his way, he fought against “all those traumas” as well. He added, “I never understood why he was so closed off. But man, I’m tired, and I’m a really shy, messed up kid inside and really broken.”
MGK grew up the son of Christian missionaries, and his family lived in Germany, Egypt, Kenya, and Texas throughout his adolescence. His father passed away in July 2020. The rapper hopes he will be able to break the cycle of generational trauma in his lifetime. “Every single medium I’ve talked to says there’s a generational curse on all the men in my family, that they will die alone, and they all died alone. I’m the seventh generation, which means I should be able to break the curse,” he said.
He also explained the numerological significance behind his birth date, which is 22, a “master number” that is a “curse breaker.” He added, “So I hope in this lifetime to be my best self and master what I need to do. It’s a very difficult path that I’m on right now.”
Also read: Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll release the much-awaited track Lonely Road inspired by John Denver; watch
