Lace Up
title: "Lace Up" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2012-debut-albums", "machine-gun-kelly-(musician)-albums", "bad-boy-records-albums", "interscope-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-alex-da-kid", "albums-produced-by-boi-1da", "albums-produced-by-dame-grease", "albums-produced-by-drumma-boy", "albums-produced-by-j.-r.-rotem", "albums-produced-by-j.u.s.t.i.c.e.-league", "albums-produced-by-southside-(record-producer)"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lace_Up" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Lace Up |
| type | studio |
| artist | Machine Gun Kelly |
| cover | MGKLaceUp.jpg |
| caption | Standard cover art for the album, deluxe version features the same cover with a red background |
| released | |
| recorded | 2010–2012 |
| genre | Hip hop |
| length | |
| label | |
| producer | |
| prev_title | Half Naked & Almost Famous |
| prev_year | 2012 |
| next_title | Black Flag |
| next_year | 2013 |
| misc | {{Singles |
| name | Lace Up |
| type | studio |
| single1 | Wild Boy |
| single1date | September 27, 2011 |
| single2 | Invincible |
| single2date | April 24, 2012 |
| single3 | Hold On (Shut Up) |
| single3date | August 6, 2012 |
| :: |
| name = Lace Up | type = studio | artist = Machine Gun Kelly | cover = MGKLaceUp.jpg | alt = | caption = Standard cover art for the album, deluxe version features the same cover with a red background | released = | recorded = 2010–2012 | studio = | genre = Hip hop | length = | label = | producer = | prev_title = Half Naked & Almost Famous | prev_year = 2012 | next_title = Black Flag | next_year = 2013 | misc = {{Singles | name = Lace Up | type = studio | single1 = Wild Boy | single1date = September 27, 2011 | single2 = Invincible | single2date = April 24, 2012 | single3 = Hold On (Shut Up) | single3date = August 6, 2012
Lace Up is the debut studio album by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Bad Boy Records and Interscope Records. Puff Daddy, who served as the executive producer on the album, enlisted the guest appearances from Cassie, DMX, Planet VI and Avenged Sevenfold; as well as the production that was provided by Alex da Kid, JP Did This 1 and J.R. Rotem, among others. The album was supported by four singles: "Wild Boy" featuring Waka Flocka Flame, "Invincible" featuring Ester Dean, and "Hold On (Shut Up)" featuring Young Jeezy, along with a promotional single, "Stereo" featuring Alex Fitts.
Reviews for the record were generally positive, but critics felt that it was a disappointment, compared to his previous mixtapes. Lace Up debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies in the United States. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 copies.
Singles
The album's lead single, "Wild Boy" was released on September 27, 2011. The song features guest vocals from fellow American rapper Waka Flocka Flame, with production being provided by GB Hitz and Southside. It was initially featured on his fourth mixtape, Rage Pack (2011), and on his debut EP, Half Naked & Almost Famous (2012). The song debuted at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week of January 28, 2012, and number 49 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It serves as his first song to be charted on both Billboard charts.
The album's second single, "Invincible" was released to digital retailers in the United States on April 24, 2012, and was solicited to rhythmic contemporary radio and contemporary hit radio on May 15 to July 31, 2012, respectively. The song features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Ester Dean, and was produced by British producer Alex da Kid. MGK shot a music video for the single, which features an appearance from the singer Ester Dean, and uploaded the video on YouTube under his VEVO account, on June 3, 2012.
"Hold On (Shut Up)" featuring Young Jeezy, was released as the album's third single on August 6, 2012. The music video was released on November 19, 2012.
Promotional singles
On September 20, 2012, "Stereo" was released with an accompanying music video, as the album's promotional single (although this track was formerly part of the mixtape with same title as the album). The song features guest vocals from Alex Fitts. The track would also be included, alongside "Invincible" and "Hold On (Shut Up)", as part of the MGK's Music Unlimited exclusive EP, titled Lace Up - The Prelude (released on October 2, 2012).
Critical reception
| MC = 69/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = DJBooth | rev2Score = | rev3 = HipHopDX | rev3Score = | rev4 = Rolling Stone | rev4Score = | rev5 = Spin | rev5Score = 5/10 | rev6 = XXL | rev6Score = 4/5 (XL) Lace Up received favorable reviews but music critics found the record overall uneven, compared to Kelly's previous mixtapes. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received average score of 69, based on 6 reviews which indicates generally favourable reviews. Adam Fleischer of XXL praised the production throughout the album and MGK for being consistent with his rapid-fire flow concluding with, "though he may no longer be quite the underdog he once was, rapping like it—at least for now—still works." Fred Thomas of AllMusic also praised the album for its production and putting MGK in the spotlight, calling it "a beast of a debut, and some of the heaviest mainstream-friendly hip-hop happening in 2012, a picture of young energy at its zenith."
Edwin Ortiz of HipHopDX gave a mixed review of the album, praising tracks like "Edge of Destruction" and "D3mons" for their intensity but found "Invincible" and "All We Have" put MGK into "industry purgatory." He concluded with, "Lace Up is an imbalanced project that fails to establish MGK’s grand message. His debut is decent at best, with hope that his following projects yield better results." Phillip Mlynar of Spin felt that the special guests throughout the album were more of a hindrance to the main artist saying, "Instead of turning this debut proper into an expansive listen, the guests seem like they're papering over holes in both the music and the message."
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies. It slid down to number 22 in its second week giving it a total of 65,000 copies. Sliding down to number 37 in week three it sold 10,000 more copies. As of September 2015, the album has sold 263,000 copies in the United States.
Track listing
Album credits adapted from official liner notes.
| headline = Lace Up — Standard version | extra_column = Producer(s) | total_length = 49:41
| title1 = Save Me | writer1 = | note1 = featuring M. Shadows and Synyster Gates | extra1 = | length1 = 3:12
| title2 = What I Do | writer2 = | note2 = featuring Bun B and Dub-O | extra2 = | length2 = 4:32
| title3 = Wild Boy | writer3 = | note3 = featuring Waka Flocka Flame | extra3 = | length3 = 3:51
| title4 = Lace Up | writer4 = | note4 = featuring Lil Jon | extra4 = Drumma Boy | length4 = 3:02
| title5 = Stereo | writer5 = | note5 = featuring Alex Fitts | extra5 = Alex Kickdrum | length5 = 3:55
| title6 = All We Have | writer6 = | note6 = featuring Anna Yvette | extra6 = | length6 = 3:27
| title7 = See My Tears | writer7 = | extra7 = J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League | length7 = 4:10
| title8 = D3MONS | writer8 = | note8 = featuring DMX | extra8 = | length8 = 4:21
| title9 = Edge of Destruction | writer9 = | note9 = featuring Tech N9ne and Twista | extra9 = | length9 = 5:08
| title10 = Runnin | writer10 = | note10 = featuring Planet VI | extra10 = | length10 = 2:47
| title11 = Invincible | writer11 = | note11 = featuring Ester Dean | extra11 = Alex da Kid | length11 = 3:07
| title12 = On My Way | writer12 = | extra12 = | length12 = 4:10
| title13 = End of the Road | writer13 = | note13 = featuring blackbear | extra13 = | length13 = 4:04 | headline = Lace Up— Deluxe version (bonus tracks) | extra_column = Producer(s) | total_length = 63:16
| title14 = Half Naked & Almost Famous | writer14 = | extra14 = | length14 = 2:51
| title15 = La La La (The Floating Song) | writer15 = | extra15 = Chase N. Cashe | length15 = 3:54
| title16 = Hold On (Shut Up) | writer16 = | note16 = featuring Young Jeezy | extra16 = JP Did This 1 | length16 = 3:30
| title17 = Warning Shot | writer17 = | note17 = featuring Cassie | extra17 = | length17 = 3:21
;Notes
- signifies a co-producer
- signifies an additional producer
- "Save Me" features additional vocals from M. Shadows.
- "La La La (The Floating Song)" features additional vocals from Betty Idol.
;Sample credits, taken from liner notes.
- "See My Tears" contains a sample of "Rain" written and performed by Armin van Buuren and Cathy Burton.
- "D3MONS" contains a sample of "Sorrow" (from the Gladiator soundtrack) written and performed by Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer.
Personnel
Credits for Lace Up adapted from AllMusic.
- Klaus Badlet — composer
- Kenneth Bartolomei — composer
- Chris Bellman — mastering
- Jon "JRB" Bishop — producer
- Blackbear — featured artist
- Snaz — producer
- Boi-1da — producer
- Dame Grease — producer
- Michael "Silent Mike" Brascom — composer, producer
- Leslie Brathwaite — mixing
- Adrian Broekhuyse — composer
- J Browz — bass, guitar
- Bun B — featured artist
- Sean "Diddy" Combs — executive producer
- Kevin "KD" Davis — mixing
- M. De Geoij — composer
- Ester Dean — composer, featured artist
- Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine — engineer
- Steve "Rock Star" Dickey — mixing
- Alexander Diliplane — assistant
- DMX — featured artist
- Drumma Boy — producer
- Dub-O — featured artist
- Rami Eadeh — composer, producer
- Briton "Woodro Skillson" Ewart — composer, producer
- Alex Fitts — featured artist
- Frequency — engineer, producer
- Frequency — engineer, producer
- Brian "DJ Frequency" Fryzel — composer
- Synyster Gates — featured artist, guitar
- GB Hitz — producer
- L. Gerrard — composer
- Stephanie Hsu — creative director
- Anthony "DJ Xplosive" Jackson — scratching
- Jazz Feezy — producer
- J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League — producer
- Alex Kickdrum — producer
- Alex Da Kid — producer
- Byron Kirkland — management
- Lil Jon — featured artist
- Livvi Franc — background vocalist for "Warning Shot"
- MGK — primary artist
- Juaquin Malphurs — composer
- Jonathan Mannion — photography
- Fabian Marasciullo — mixing
- Manny Marroquin — mixing
- A. Masone — composer
- Justine Massa — creative coordinator
- Matthew "Spordy" McMahon — photography
- James McMillan — executive producer, management
- MGK — engineer, executive producer, primary artist, producer
- Mat Musto — piano
- R. Nitzan — composer
- Raz Nitzan — composer
- T-Minus — producer
- Harve Pierre — executive producer
- Planet VI — featured artist
- Justin Sampson — assistant, engineer
- Ben Schigel — mixing
- Phil Schlemmer — engineer
- M. Shadows — featured artist, vocals
- Slim Gudz — engineer, producer
- Southside — producer
- SykSense — producer
- Tech N9ne — featured artist
- Twista — featured artist
- Armin van Buuren — composer
- Ashleigh Veverka — management
- Waka Flocka Flame — featured artist
- Irvin Whitlow — composer, producer
- Anna Yvette — featured artist, producer, vocals
Chart performance
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (2012) | Peak position | |---|---| ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (2012) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 64 |
| :: |
Certifications
|relyear=2012|certyear=2017|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}
Release history
::data[format=table]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | October 5, 2012 | CD, digital download | Bad Boy, Interscope |
| Canada | October 9, 2012 | ||
| United States | |||
| :: |
References
References
- Harling, Danielle. (August 8, 2012). "Machine Gun Kelly "Lace Up" Release Date". Cheri Media Group.
- "MGK Album & Song Chart History – The Billboard Hot 100". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
- "MGK Album & Song Chart History – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Prometheus Global Media.
- "Invincible (feat. Ester Dean) – Single by MGK". [[iTunes Store]] (US). [[Apple Inc..
- "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Inc.
- (June 3, 2012). "Video: MGK f/ Ester Dean - 'Invincible{{'-}}". Devin Lazerine.
- (January 2012). "iTunes - Music Videos - Hold On (Shut Up) by MGK". iTunes Store (US). Apple.
- (December 4, 2012). "Video: Machine Gun Kelly (Feat. Young Jeezy) - Hold On (Shut Up)". WorldStarHipHop.
- "MGK / Lace Up (The Prelude)". [[Sony Entertainment Network]].
- "Reviews for Lace Up by MGK". [[CBS Interactive]].
- Thomas, Fred. "Lace Up - Machine Gun Kelly". [[AllMusic]].
- Slavik, Nathan. (October 9, 2012). "Machine Gun Kelly - Lace Up".
- Ortiz, Edwin. (October 25, 2012). "Machine Gun Kelly - Lace Up". Cheri Media Group.
- Dolan, Jon. (November 9, 2012). "MGK Lace Up Album Review". [[Jann Wenner.
- Mlynar, Phillip. (October 17, 2012). "MGK, 'Lace Up' Review". [[SpinMedia]].
- Fleischer, Adam. (October 11, 2012). "Machine Gun Kelly, Lace Up". [[Townsquare Media]].
- Caulfield, Keith. (October 17, 2012). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Score Top Billboard 200 Debut, Mumford Still No. 1". Prometheus Global Media.
- Jacobs, Allen. (October 21, 2012). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/21/2012". Cheri Media Group.
- Paine, Jake. (October 28, 2012). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/28/2012". Cheri Media Group.
- "Upcoming Releases". HITS Digital Ventures.
- "Digital Booklet - Lace Up". DocDroid.
- "Lace Up - MGK - Credits". AllMusic.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2012".
- (January 2012). "iTunes - Musik – "Lace Up" von MGK". iTunes Store (DE). Apple.
- "Lace Up (Deluxe) by MGK - Preorder Lace Up (Deluxe)". iTunes Store (CA). Apple.
- "Lace Up (Deluxe) by MGK - Preorder Lace Up (Deluxe)". iTunes Store (US). Apple.
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