Machine Gun Kelly Talks Complex Relationship With Late Dad Who Stood Trial for Murder at 9

Machine Gun Kelly has opened up about his relationship with his late dad and its influence on his life and music.

In a recent interview on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, shared that his dad, who died on July 5, 2020, was on trial at just 9 years old for the murder of his own father.

"The story that was told to me was always that [his] dad dropped the gun and his head, it essentially blew off," the rapper-turned-pop-punk-turned-country star told host Bunnie XO. "That all happened in the room with my dad at 9 years old. So, him and my grandmother were tried for the murder. They were both acquitted."

Kelly recalled his late father struggling with depression and other mental health challenges as a result of the traumatic event and said he was "inspired" by his dad's "emotional" personality.

"In my situation with my father, he was so tormented from some of the most insane s**t that I can imagine a kid can go through," the musician said.

He continued, "The emotional side of things I get from my father, who was very, you know, he wore everything on his sleeve. His depression was very obvious; his need for love was very [obvious]. I wish I could've told him before he died that I was really inspired by how emotional he was. I thought that was very cool in hindsight because I am very emotional, too."

Kelly admitted that when he was a child, he used to "hate" and get "mad" at his father for "[freaking] out" if he heard a loud noise or if his son scared him.

As a result of this, Kelly said he believes he "fought back with all those traumas by becoming what I always wanted my father to be, which was tough, and shake everything off and fight anyone who comes at you."

Kelly also discussed his relationship with his mother during his podcast appearance. When the artist was just 9, his mom left their family, and he and his father moved to Denver, Colorado, to live with his aunt.

"I would like to say for the record, I love my mom dearly, and I misrepresented her a lot early in my career," the rapper confessed. "And not misrepresented in the sense of not speaking truth. I was speaking my truth, but I didn't give the masses the chance to understand her truth."

The two made up in recent years, even though he expressed his grievance about her not looking for him after she left the family.

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