When I first met Machine Gun Kelly, it was 2011 at SXSW. Both of us had issues getting into the less hectic upstairs VIP area of Austin’s Convention Center and Cleveland, Ohio’s very own took offense to it. Guess we both weren’t cool enough at the time to get those special wristbands. This was before the Bad Boy deal, acting roles and everything else between. MGK had just released his Lace Up! mixtape several months prior to positive reviews. Besides giving out a handful of signatures (including one to me), the “Wild Boy” had a relatively easy time during the interview. We went our separate ways and never had an interaction with him since. One thing that’ll always stay with me was how fiery he was. He had something to prove and wanted everyone to know. Fast forward to today, nearly three years since releasing his major label debut Lace Up and he’s just dropped his most personal album to date General Admission.
Retaining that signature energy he’s been known for, there are some heartfelt moments General Admission offers that are heartfelt and honest. For every stoner track “Oz.” or nut-hugging moment like “Bad Mother F*cker” featuring Kid Rock, there are moments where he searches deeper. “Story Of The Stairs” and “A Little More” featuring Victoria Monet are intimate moments into the deeper mindset he’s normally not too known for. It makes sense, MGK’s world view has changed significantly since the last time we talked. Plus, his fanbase has grown significantly and maybe a tad bit out of hand which was noticeable during my time over the phone with him. One thing is clear as day, that unhinged attitude is still in full effect. However, this time, it’s a lot more controlled. Of course, no one understands that growth better than him. Maybe life has a way of maturing people in unexpected ways.
Speaking with DX, MGK manages to discuss how much his real life encounters with the police and fans along with family drama directed the process of creating General Admission.
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MGK On Fans: “I’m Not Going To Baby This Generation But Help Mold Them”
DX: I remember doing an interview with you at SXSW in 2011 and you signed my copy of the Lace Up! mixtape. Must be nice to have such a large following that’s grown so much over the years right?
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Machine Gun Kelly: Oh word?I mean, I’m fucking reading through all these comments and these reviews. It’s something I don’t normally do but, I’m so confident with this project that I finally….Sorry, walking past a venue and kids are screaming.
[Voices of fans screaming and MGK being polite. Gives female fan hug and she cries hysterically]
Dude I feel like a dude who carried 500 pounds of weight on his back for so long and carrying this around for like three years since the first album dropped. I finally got it off my chest. I got it off my back, shoulder or whatever you want to call it. I feel free, I feel light. I’m not weighed down by the world anymore. I finally put out an album that represents the Machine Gun Kelly I wanted people to see in the first place.
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DX: One of my favorite joints on the project is the “Oz” track where you sample Crucial Conflict’s 90s stoner classic “Hay.” That shit knocks yo.
MGK: I wrote that song after I was on the way back home from the airport in Florida. I was recording with Jim Jonsin who produced that track along with some others. A girl came to see me from Australia and I went to go pick her up. She got in the car and we were driving back to the studio. The cops pull us over and I’m like fuck. We had a J lit….
[MGK gets into argument with fan who is persistent in getting attention after he ask to be left alone due to the interview following acknowledgment. Then phone call drops. He calls back]
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DX: You got some wild fans eh?
MGK: Yeah man. Sometimes those fans step out of pocket and you have to put them back.
DX: How difficult is it dealing with fans. For every honestly good fan, you have to deal with some bad apples eh?
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MGK: I’ve kind of been an introvert this past year. That’s something I’ve noticed about myself. I use to be so personable with everybody and then I watched so many people walk in and out of my life. Being a fan of more music and certain song releases swayed people’s opinions on me. I’m not a celebrity. I’m a human. If you’re going to be down with me, be down with me. It’s like being in middle school when your friends are like, “I’m not going to be friends with you this week.” It’s childish. When I see my people act childish, I didn’t want part of that shit. My job as an artist or musician is to make good music. I’m not a celebrity, I’m here to be the people’s champ. I want to be the voice of the people and not an ass kisser. You have plenty of celebrities who play into that shit. That’s why this generation is so tainted right now and so fucking spoiled. All a musician owes you is good music. That’s why we’re musicians and not puppets. For example: When I’m outside being a normal person and walking through the streets doing an interview. Someone calls out my name, I throw the deuces to you, acknowledge you and say what’s up but, that’s still not good enough for you. I tell them I’m doing an interview and asks him to respect my space. I’m telling him, you’re not talking to a celebrity. I will fuck you up. I’m a regular person and you’ll treat me as such. I’m not going to baby this generation but, help mold them. That comes with respect which is something we’ve lost. That’s what this album is about. It’s not just a General Admission ticket into my life but, me saying, “look I’m not a smiley wild person” people portray me to be. I was doing that because how angry I was. Now, I’m going to pull all that back and just give you the music. I don’t know man, it’s hard to even put in words cause I have so many thoughts in my mind. Thank God for that because that’s how we’re going to get album number three right?
DX: Well, when did you get to the point where you felt less angry?
MGK: I didn’t get to that point until this week. I was angry the entire time I was making that album because I watched myself put out that first album and saw that it was a disappointment to the hype I had under my name at the time. I didn’t think it was a disappointment but, I just sat there, read all the reviews and saw all the opinions. I watched people’s face crumble a little bit and even on this album. It affected me because one of the magazines that is my favorite and most iconic passed on reviewing this album and they reviewed my first album. I’m sitting here like I’d trade that album for this album. There’s some injustice to that because the people over there are just sheep and aren’t thinking for themselves because if you thought for yourselves you’d listen to what the people are saying. Like, “yo go listen to this Machine Gun Kelly album because it’s completely different than I thought it was going to be. It’s fire and true maturation of an artist. It’s so much growth and Goddamn, I wasn’t expecting this.” But, a sheep is going to listen to what the shepherds are saying and they’re saying I’m not cool or too much. You know how people view me. I’m too real and people get scared. I’ve done interviews lately and they say I’ve been a lot less calm. I thought you were wild. I’m like yo, when I was wild ya’ll were freaking out about that.
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DX: Well, people are going to feel some way about you regardless.
MGK: Yeah, but I’m not having that. Make up your mutha fuckin mind. I’m the same person.
MGK Tells The Story Of How Getting Pulled Over For Weed Inspired “Oz.”
DX: Going back to the “Oz.” joint before we were interrupted. You were talking about getting pulled over.
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MGK: Alright so let me tell that story from the beginning without feeling pressured since I’m walking past people. So I’m down in Florida and recording a couple of songs with Jim Jonsin. I take a break from the studio to pick this girl up from Australia who flew in to see me. I go to pick her up and we’re driving back to the studio. Obviously, I’m smoking my blunt because it’s something I do. I see the police and I’m like holy fuck. It’s me, the girl and Slim in the car. I’m like damn, fuck, fuck, fuck. Slim is like put the weed out. And I’m like fuck it, we’re already caught. I keep the J lit and I’m just smoking it. I’m like, I might as well get high before whatever happens. I roll down the window and end up talking with the police. The officer recognizes me. Things start to turn cool. I’m like OK, this is alright. I told him I had weed in my drivers seat and that I like to smoke. He has me step out the car, says he’s trying to be cool and ask about cocaine or big amounts of weed. He just asked me if there was anything in the car that he should know about. He had to search any other way. I’m like damn, I have an ounce of weed and I know he’s about to find it. I tell him there’s an ounce in the car. It was in plain fucking sight. He was like, “damn, I’m trying to let you go but it’s hard to let you go when you have that much fucking weed in your car in a state where weed is not legal.” He tells me that he dug my music, understood I was in the middle of recording and told me to dump it in the sewer. I’m like fuck but, I was happy I didn’t have to go to jail. I dump the weed in the sewer. We get back to the studio and the girl I’m with opens up her purse. She notices her passport, all her cash and everything. It was like a win/lose situation. We avoided going to jail and had something to talk about when we got back to the studio but lost because the police taxed our asses because of the mistake. That’s where the inspiration came from. I wrote that song that night.
DX: Oh wow! This isn’t your first time dealing with the police either. I know late last year you posted a YouTube video of you getting having a run-in with authorities over air drumming?
MGK: Those fuckers. I’m like a magnet for those fuckers. How you get pulled over for air drumming?
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DX: Clearly police brutality is a major topic in America today. In your case, that’s a very real situation. Where do you fall within that discussion?
MGK: I don’t really deal with the police. If I’m caught, I just say fuck it and pay my consequences. Just fuck em, I don’t want to say shit to em. I know a lot of good men who work as cops but, I don’t really know no good cops.
DX: You have the “A Little More” track with Victoria Monet which talks about how people get distracted from real issues. How do you deal with trying to get a message across when a nice amount of people are focused on minuscule stuff?
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MGK: Oh man, I catch a lot of flack for it. I miss out on a lot of opportunities like radio play and a lot of things. I try and go the route that feels right. I’m choosing to go with a message. I realize that songs like that go over a lot of people’s heads but the beauty in stuff like that is that it’ll never go away. 15, 50 or 100 years from now, the concept of love and needing more of it is going to be relevant. You look at Israel and Palestine even more so now than ever, they need that. All it takes is someone hearing it at the right moment and act on that. So, if I get shunned at radio for trying to deliver a message then so be it. I rather be looked at as preachy or whatever the fuck than hear people talk about killing each other all the time. At the end of the day, when you realize you’re not about that life because 99 percent are not, you’re going to run into something with soul and purpose. It’s not too much of it out there. Like Drake said, “Who is going to be around a decade from now?” Ain’t that the line?
DX: Yeah from “Tuscan Leather.”
MGK: I’ve been in the game five years now and I’m growing more and more. My creativity grows more, my visuals get better and the music gets better. And, I’m only 25. Jay Z and Eminem didn’t put out their first album until 26. I’m two albums out and one platinum single with sold out tours. I’ve traveled the world, performed in front of 85,000 at Wrestlemania and got an MTV award. The list goes on. The time is coming sooner or later when people wake up.
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MGK Regrets Putting “Story Of The Stairs” On The Album
DX: Outside of the music, film as gotten your attention as well. Is it becoming an extension of your brand?
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MGK: I won’t be able to answer that until 2016 because I have three films and television series that I’m starring in. The show is called Roadies and that’s with Cameron Crowe. Showtime just picked that up. I only got one movie out and I haven’t seen a full extent of what the movies and television does to my brand yet. 2016 we’ll see.
DX: You got a very positive reception for your role in Beyond The Lights.
MGK: Hell yeah. I’m super stoked in the way I came in. Every other role I have is different from the next so it should be a fun ride.
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DX: Are you still learning to balance both music and acting?
MGK: Naw because I treat them separately. I’m working on things in separate times. When I was working on the movie and the pilot for the television series, I was totally in that mode. I think that played a role in the gap between projects.
DX: One of the most revealing tracks on the album is “Story Of The Stairs.” Was that a venting moment for you?
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MGK: It definitely was. It’s exactly what you said. It’s venting because when you vent, you sort of regret it later right? It’s shared out of emotion and not thought. That’s what “Story Of The Stairs” was about. I remember writing that song really, really quickly. It’s ironic that you said that because now I kind of regret putting that song out. I turned the album in and right when it was time for the album to be closed out, I wanted to pull it. I didn’t want this out because it was a little too personal for me, I didn’t want the world to hear it. And, that’s when I found out it was too late. That song kind of happened by mistake on the album.
DX: The cover features a Joshua Tree that you’re sitting underneath over a mushroom cloud. Does that symbolize you finally being above the chaos?
MGK: Yes, that’s a very good way of putting it. Very accurate way to view it. And yes, I feel that way 100 percent. Like, I didn’t at the time but it was almost putting it into the universe. As soon as the album dropped and I saw the response, I was finally above all the bullshit. Not that just the bullshit but, my bullshit. The chaos in my own life.
