Machine Gun Kelly’s Rapid Fire Flows Fuses Punk Energy With Hip Hop at Belasco Theater

Joseph Baura

When Machine Gun Kelly, aka Richard Baker, released his first mixtape in 2006, he was just a 16 years old teenager in Cleveland dreaming of becoming one of hip hop’s biggest stars. The “Machine Gun” in his name is not a reference to his taste for violence but as a tribute to his gift for quick-witted, rapid-fire rhymes. In 2012, MGK (as he is also known) his debut album, “Lace Up” received a great amount of critical praise, instantly putting him on the radar for many hardcore hip-hop fans. In 2015, Kelly released follow-up “General Admission,” which contained one of his most successful singles “Till I Die,” a song that unofficially became the theme song for the Cleveland Cavaliers during their resurgence in the NBA Playoffs.

Now on tour, MGK stopped by the Belasco Theatre in Downtown LA for an up close and personal show. The rapper opened with one of his mid-tempo songs “Alpha Omega” before transitioning into his homage to AWOLNATION hit, “Sail.” The energy in the room was electric, almost feeling like a rock show with the fans head banging throughout the set, as a shirtless MGK bounced around the stage and a huge mosh pit forming right in the middle of the crowd. MGK also showed off a bit of his finger picking skills when he brought out his guitar for a few songs and with songs like “A Little More” and “See My Tears,” MGK slowed the tempo of the show down to provide a somber yet heartfelt delivery. The energy ramped back up to 11 when he began to perform “Bad MotherF*cker,” sans Waka Flocka Flame, who, combined with MGK’s energy, would have probably blown the roof off of the venue. To close a great night, MGK performed “Till I Die” and the fans responded as if they were Cleveland natives themselves.

Machine Gun Kelly brought his full auto flow to the Belasco Theater on Oct. 13