Colson Baker (born April 22, 1990), p/k/a Machine Gun Kelly or MGK, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio. Baker's stage name comes from his rapid-fire lyrical flow and is also a reference to notorious criminal George "Machine Gun Kelly" Barnes. The son of missionary parents, Baker moved around a lot and started listening to rap in sixth grade while living in Denver, Colorado. At the age of fourteen, he moved to Cleveland. Machine Gun Kelly first gained exposure on MTV2's Sucker Free Freestyle.