Interscope Records artist Machine Gun Kelly’s sophomore album, “General Admission” sees light after nearly a year in the works. Tim Laffin, longtime fan of MGK, had a different perspective on the album and offers insights from more of a Rock music outlook. Tim’s main genre of listening is rock, as mine is typically hip-hop, so we thought it would be interesting to share our takes on the album to you.
- What drew you to the album in the first place? Was marketing a factor, or was it word of mouth, or something else?
Nick: A fan suggestion from Tim actually brought me to the album.
Tim: As mentioned in the introduction, I’m a longtime fan of MGK. I’ve been waiting for this album for a while actually.
2. Did this album grab you on first hearing, or did it need repeated listening before you started enjoying it? Why do you think that is? Was there deliberate attempt at accessibility?
Nick: There was very much a blend of accessibility varying from song to song on the album. Songs like “Alpha Omega” and “Till I Die” were extremely easy to gravitate toward after a first listen while songs like “Spotlight” and “Everyday” took a few listens to fully grasp.
Tim: A little bit of both, really. Some of the lyricism is easily accessible, while other verses are much deeper and may take a second listen to really grasp. I don’t think it’s a deliberate attempt at accessibility as much as I think it’s just a reflection of MGK’s style: some pump-up type songs, and some deeper, more complex ones. “Story Of The Stairs”, for example, took me several listens to really get a grasp of.
3. Does the whole album fit into a particular musical genre, or does it borrow from multiple forms? Can you spot key influences? Have these been merely copied or has there been development, updating or reworking? What was most original about the music?
Tim: If I have to box it into one genre, I’d go with hip hop. However, the album, and really MGK as a whole, falls into a sort of hybrid category. There’s a clear rock influence, and some lighter ballad-style instrumentation is featured, too.
Nick: As with most MGK I have heard, there is a blatant rock influence in songs like “Bad*** Mother****er”. With that said, MGK will go as far as to borrow orchestral elements with his horn placement on songs like “Everyday”. He uses elements like these to develop each song and bring them more life.
4. Were you affected emotionally by the music? Can you identify particular moments when this happened? Did these moments reflect or coincide with intensity in the lyrics?
Tim: Absolutely. This album has the type of emotional influence that most rappers can only dream of creating. “All Night Long” and “A Little More” are extremely inspirational. Songs like “Gone” and “Story Of The Stairs” offer introspection into some of the darkest moments of MGK’s life. Overall, the lyricism goes deeper than most of today’s popular hip hop.
Nick: “General Admission” definitely had me feeling some type of way at times. I recall “Everyday” had me vibing hard over the beat, I proceeded to listen to it probably 100 times the next few days.
5. Were there particular songs, or even lines, which stick in your mind because of their lyrics?
Nick: “This one for the boy who grew up trying to feed his family everyday”
Tim: “What’s going on in your mind, when someone you haven’t seen since you were nine, is out on your doorstep right now?”
6. Is there a consistent lyrical style through the album, or a range? Are they immediately accessible, or do they require reflection? Do you sense that this is deliberate?
Tim: I would definitely say there’s a range of lyrical content throughout this album. The first half of the album primarily consists of up-tempo, hard-hitting pump-up songs with witty metaphors. On the other hand, the second half opens the door to a level of complexity that is so rare in today’s hip hop.
Nick: The range of lyrical style on this album is almost unheard of in rap music today, but I also think that’s a reflection of the rock influence MGK brings to the table. He will hit you with some shallow, easy to digest lines of moment, but then hit you with something deep the next. It’s a healthy blend.
7. Were there any key ideas or images which were inventive or which worked particularly well? Or some that were less successful?
Nick: The subtly-used features, which are so subtle that they are often not even credited. MGK holds his own decently well over the course of “General Admission” but adds color and texture to his songs with his selection and utilization of low key features.
Tim: The entire album has an overarching theme: everyone struggles sometimes, but we can get through these struggles by coming together as one. In general, MGK’s style has recently transitioned from “I’m going to make it, and you will too” to “I made it, and you still will too” and it’s apparent on this album.
8. Do you detect any clear purpose in the way the album is structured? Is there a sense of progression or grouping? Or does it seem more like a string of stand-alone tracks?
Tim: While each track is a unique entity, I would say that the first half of the album is more up-tempo, while the second half slows things down a bit.
Nick: It seems clear to me the variety of influence and styling that went into each song and the entire albums construction. Not one song sounds alike, even though the lyrics might point at each other from song to song.
Any last comments?
Tim: If you check this album out and enjoy it, don’t be afraid to consider some of MGK’s older work. He brings something creative and unique to the table every time he records, making him one of hip hop’s hardest acts to define. Some love him, some hate him, but I think you need to decide for yourself one way or the other.
Nick: I feel I will find myself returning to songs on this album over time. As a whole I feel the album is overly lengthy for not enough meat. It’s not that some of the songs,and the album as a whole, do not have density, it just generally does not translate to a bigger picture.
Ratings:
Nick – Light to decent 7 out of 10
Tim – 9 out of 10