| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCYG-nzMmq0 |
[C]leveland, Ohio rapper Machine Gun Kelly has often used his upbringing as a source of inspiration for his music. MGK used rap as an outlet after family troubles became too much of a burden for the rapper, who was in the seventh grade when began rhyming.
During this period, the rapper became extremely close to his father, who raised him. Machine Gun Kelly has been estranged from his mother since he was nine-years-old, when she left the house, to be with another man, who was a teacher.
“My parents broke up way before middle school, my parents broke up when I was like nine. That was some tough shit.”
To complicate things, his father endured mental health issues. He fought off depression, which was brought on by life challenges like unemployment.
“It affected my father, and, therefore, led to the lack of raising I needed. It was what I needed,” Machine Gun Kelly told CollegeHipHop.com. “I needed to raise myself and have the world beat me up and spit me out. It’s still beating me up. I’m still getting so much negative and I am trying to live my life so positive. Just getting these emails that are so hurtful…not from my fans or anything, just shit.”
As for MGK, the rappers working with several new projects. And he has been taking his mental health serious.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It’s cliche, but it’s so fucking true. Life is all about dealing with problems,” the rapper explained.”
Now he wants to make a positive difference in the lives of the fans he is influencing. Those numbers are substantial. MGK has almost 7 million combined followers on social media and is closing in on a half a billion views on YouTube.
“Maybe all these other kids that are coming to see me because they think I’m cool, maybe those cool kids will start to open up after they hear my words in concert,” MGK continued. “[Maybe they will] start to give those other people a chance and start to realize that equality is key in us succeeding as a generation. We are going to kill every fucking one of ourselves if we don’t stop this bullshit.”
