Born Richard Colson Baker in Texas but raised in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, MGK began making news in 2009 when he became the first rapper to win at amateur night at Harlem's Apollo Theater. A series of mixtapes, including 100 Words and Running, Lace Up, and Rage Pack came next; a 2011 performance at SXSW was followed immediately by a meeting with Sean Combs. Kelly signed with Comb's Bad Boy imprint that night and released the single "Wild Boy" on the label that same year. The track featured special guest Waka Flocka Flame, and MGK's debut album, Lace Up, landed in 2012. During this time, he also signed a deal with Young & Restless to work on a clothing line. In 2015, he released General Admission, a dark, autobiographical album released under the full name of Machine Gun Kelly. ~ Fred Thomas