(NewsUSA) – Machine Gun Kelly — aka Richard Colson Baker — considers himself a loser. He has said as much in interviews. That was, however, before he signed a million-dollar deal with Sean “P Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy record label last August.

Given his current rising-star status among rap artists, that statement seems to be an oxymoron.

For those who do not know MGK — his preferred moniker — he is a 22-year-old white kid who has gained notoriety for his rapid fire, rat-a-tat-tat delivery that, he says, was inspired by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, an American hip hop band from Ohio.

Although born in Houston, Texas, Kelly’s childhood was filled with cross-country moves, including a missionary trip in Senegal, until finally settling in the city he loves and now calls home — Cleveland, Ohio.

Since 2010, MGK has slowly built his reputation in the hip hop world, not only by rapping at a pace that few artists can match, but by paying homage to the city he loves, detailing the hardships of living and working in a blue-collar town, and his struggle with drug abuse.

While some have questioned his decision to sign with Bad Boy, to date, the label has been a veritable dumping ground of artists who have gone platinum (think Biggie Smalls before he died in the mid-90s) to those who have done very little to provide the label with any kind of success. Through it all, MGK defends his new employer.

According to reports, there was a bidding war for the young up-and-coming rapper, and Bad Boy agreed to treat their newest client with kid gloves.

“They agreed not to touch my music, and that was the most important thing for me,” Kelly said last year in an interview..

Fast-forward two years, and MGK now has the backing of one of the most notable record producers in the world, a full-length debut album called “Lace Up,” slated to drop this summer, a guest spot as a featured artist on DMX‘s new album “Undisputed,” being produced by Los Angeles-based Seven Arts Music — and 388,000 followers on Twitter — a barometer in today’s world on just how popular an artist is.

For now, it seems the world is Kelly’s oyster, and he is more than willing to take it by storm.

To learn more about Big Jake Music and DMX’s newest album, visit www.bigjakemusic.com.