In a new interview with USA Today, Colson Baker (also known as the rapper/actor Machine Gun Kelly) says that being in Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s presence “absolutely” helped him with his role in the upcoming movie The Dirt.

“My first emotion that I revert to isn't happiness and I think his is, very much so. He's excitable. Everything to him is cool and there's something really beautiful about that. It never seemed like he was tainted by the ugliness around him.” 

Baker - who also raps on the new Crüe song "The Dirt (Est. 1981)," virtually mastered Lee’s signature drumstick twirling. “I had that damn drumstick in my hand for four months straight, dude,” adds Baker, who hired his younger brother to be his drum teacher for the film. “I have giant calluses in between my middle finger and my index finger just spinning that damn stick. So I hope you enjoy the stick twirls in that movie.”

Read more at USA Today.

"The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) video:

The upcoming Netflix film The Dirt is an unflinching and uncensored story about sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, fame, and the high price of excess. Director Jeff Tremaine (Jackass co-creator) shows us just how Nikki Sixx (Douglas Booth), Mick Mars (Iwan Rheon), Tommy Lee (Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly), and Vince Neil (Daniel Webber) took Mötley Crüe from the Sunset Strip to the world stage, and what it meant to become the world’s most notorious rock band.

The Dirt Soundtrack includes four brand new songs and is available for pre-order now through Mötley Records and Eleven Seven Music. The pre-order offers an instant download of the single, “The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) here and check out the official music video below, which includes behind-the-scenes footage. Additionally, exclusive to the film and soundtrack, you can find The Dirt inspired merch bundles at this location.

“During the filming of our movie we got excited and inspired to write new music. Getting back in the studio with Bob Rock just fueled the creative fires for us. To me, the music sounds like classic Mötley. The lyrics were written for the movie and are a reflection of our life.” - Nikki Sixx

The 18-song soundtrack mastered by Grammy winner, Dave Donnelly features a collection of Mötley Crüe classics that meaningfully underscore significant moments that shape the film. The album includes 14 fan-favorites and chart topping tracks such as “Dr. Feelgood” that charted at #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the anthemic “Girls, Girls, Girls” which reached #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 amongst others. Additional hits featured are “Kickstart My Heart,” “Same ‘Ol Situation (S.O.S.),” “Shout At The Devil” and the iconic ballad, “Home Sweet Home” that landed the band mainstream recognition.

Exclusive to the film’s soundtrack, Mötley Crüe recorded four new songs featuring the single, “The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)” with effortless rap verses surrounding signature guitar riffs. The three remaining songs conclude the album with the catchy “Ride With The Devil,” “Crash And Burn” and the band’s own spin on Madonna’s, “Like A Virgin.”

The Dirt Soundtrack tracklisting:

"The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
"Red Hot"
"On With The Show"
"Live Wire"
"Merry-Go-Round"
"Take Me To The Top"
"Piece Of Your Action"
"Shout At The Devil"
"Looks That Kill"
"Too Young To Fall In Love "
"Home Sweet Home"
"Girls, Girls, Girls"
"Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)"
"Kickstart My Heart"
"Dr. Feelgood"
"Ride With The Devil"
"Crash And Burn"
"Like A Virgin"

"The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) video:

Film trailer:

Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, the quartet - Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass), and Tommy Lee (drums) - has commandeered the rock pantheon for 38 years as the leaders in rock history. They’ve accumulated worldwide album sales exceeding 100m, 7 platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, 6 Top 20 pop singles, 3 Grammy nominations, 4 New York Times best-sellers and even landed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for their iconic live performances, they’ve sold-out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with groundbreaking production highlights such as Tommy Lee’s, Crüecifly-Drum-Rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx's Flame-Throwing-Bass. The band concluded their extensive two-year final tour in 2015 after 165 shows across 5 continents, grossing over $100m. The band’s music is frequently licensed by major household brands such as KIA Motors, Dodge, Coldwell Banker, NASCAR, Carl’s Jr. and many more. Most recently “Kickstart My Heart” was featured on Planter’s Nuts’ commercial and “Home Sweet Home” in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl commercial where the band donated their fee to support animal rescue. Both commercials aired during the 2019 Super Bowl.

Mötley Crüe is reaching new heights in the film industry on Netflix with their octane-fuelled biopic, The Dirt from their bestselling autobiography with Neil Strauss. The Netflix Film is directed by Jeff Tremaine (Jackass) and includes a stellar cast: Douglas Booth (Loving Vincent), Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Colson Baker a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly (Bird Box), Daniel Webber (The Punisher), David Costabile (Breaking Bad, Billions) and Pete Davidson (SNL) premiering on Netflix March 22nd.