MACHINE GUN KELLY

Being a rock star rocks.

I've always been a fan of the Club C sneaker because it's super clean and timeless. It's one of those kicks that's been in the street scene forever - more than 30 years.

It seems like I'm one of those people that has the personality where, if I win an award, I wake up the next day, and I'm like 'Oh, but I didn't win this award though, or this didn't happen.'

I sell out shows. My performance is top-tier.

Everyone in our clique rocks a black bandana with the print 'EST 19XX' on them 24/7. As the underdog, you are expected to lose or give up and 'wave the white towel,' so that is why our flag is black. We never give up - never surrender. EST means 'Everyone Stands Together.' The '19XX' is to represent any age.

I'm known as a voice for a generation of people that don't have a voice.

'Cleveland' went viral, but it didn't necessarily pop. I didn't have that support. I didn't have a deal when I made 'Cleveland' or anything like that.

My executive board, my management, my friends, are so ethnically diverse.

There's blackballing involved with Machine Gun Kelly, a lot of confusion about who I am as an artist. But that's so small in the wake of someone like Nelson Mandela.

Before I even started listening to rap music, I was really into metal and punk.

Imogen Poots loves music to death and can literally name 300 bands that she listens to, that you've never heard. She's so heavy into the underground music scene. When she's speaking on music, she means it.

I was really excited about 'Nerve' with Dave Franco and Emma Roberts.

They always say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, but I say that about Cleveland.

My time on 'Roadies' gave me serenity and space.

A lot of time, my inspiration comes from pain: growing pains, hunger pains, or money pains.

I think, with music, I'm a lyricist who talks about real life things.

My view on music and the way that it's portrayed is that it's a religion.

New life situations equal out to new kinds of songs.

As soon as 'General Admission' came out, there was a whole new pain that hit me that was rougher than I could imagine.

There really are a lot of stereotypes I fight.

I think more like an entertainer rather than just a rapper. My overall goal is to never be listed as just a rapper. You know how Michael Jackson was listed as a great entertainer? That's what I want to be.

Every time I've partnered with WWE, we've managed to pull off something extraordinary, but to be a part of the Tribute to the Troops special is definitely the highlight.

The last thing I want to do is be complacent.

Every night, we put on shows that are deteriorating our bodies' life span... we don't do it for it all to be in vain.

I'm trying to be the Dr. Dre of Cleveland.