Hi, I’m Kate. (@k8thecanadian)
I started this website to have all MGK/Dub-O/EST related things in one place! 12s will eventually help me keep everything up to date! Special thanks to Chad for all his help so far.
I want to share with you my MGK story, it’s a bit different from most… My goal has always been to spread this movement with every opportunity I can and doing my bEST turning the haters into the BELIEVERS. Recruiting more and more EST soldiers every chance I get.
I want people to understand what MGK/EST and the LACE UP MOVEMENT is all about from my point of view.
It’s an extremely hard thing to put into words because it’s unexplainable but I’m going to try.
I’ll be the first one to say, MGK has not saved my life, nor has he helped me get off drugs, like he’s done for thousands of others.
What I will say is that I’m a 30ish year old, Canadian, married, mother definitely not the typical teenager/young adult, with a bunch of problems.
I have a good job and I have a great life.
I’ve also seen 37 MGK shows and 5 Dubo shows since July 2011.
My husband and I don’t do date night, we do RAGE night…:)
I help run an MGK fan FB group (EST THATS MY TEAM HOE (<click)…..join us) and my 36 year old husband has a $1200 portrait tattoo of MGK’s face on his leg done by one of the bEST tattoo artists in Canada. (John Wayne From Beesting Tattoo) (Done in Aug 2011)
We listen to MGK everyday as a family, including our 9 year old daughter Liv, who loves MGK and his manager Ashleigh.
I spread this movement like it’s my second full-time job, that’s how much I believe in it.
Every song he sings, every time he performs… you feel it in your heart. It’s a feeling like no other, truly indescribable.
I’ve seen so many concerts in my 30ish years from Eminem, Tool, Dre, Korn, Bob Seger, Madonna, Rage Against The Machine to Alan Jackson.
But nothing I’ve ever seen was like the $20 MGK show I attended in July/2011 for the 1st time in Toledo Ohio. We’d never seen an artist put so much into a show in our lives. There weren’t many people there, definitely a small show and yet this 20-year-old kid was going so hard I was in shock. You would have thought he was playing for a stadium full of people; I couldn’t put my camera down.
We left that show and on our way home, all we could think was… “Was that real life? Had we been paying hundreds of dollars to see these big names who only give half of what this kid was giving us for $20?”
Besides his live performances his songs touch us, they are powerful… they hit you in heart.
He lives for his fans. He knows the hardcore fans by name, he calls them, he writes to us in our group and he goes above and beyond for us. It’s actually unbelievable.
Though we are 10 and 12 years older than him, he’s become our friend just from going to shows and spending time with him.
His love for his hardcore fans is one of the bEST things I’ve ever been a part of.
The amount of people he’s helped kick their drug habit is crazy…I personally know hundreds.
I also know hundreds of people with MGK/EST and LACE UP tattoo’s. People who believe so much in MGK’s message that they have it tattooed on them.
How many other artists do you know who have that? (I’ll wait…)
We believe so much in this American kid from Cleveland that his face is tattooed on my husbands leg, which will be next to the greats like 2-pac, Eminem, Zack de la Rocha and Jim Morrison.
I’ve met some of my greatest friends through this movement and I’m certain I will meet more.
Since we are always traveling to see him, his manager has personally called us to make sure everything is going well during our trips to see the shows.
There’s a connection between him, his team and the fans like no other.
Please don’t believe that the wild boy image MGK has, is everything… that’s not him. Is he wild?…HECK YES! His shows are one of a kind and I think his wild boy side helps with that.
BUT most of his music is nothing at all like “Wild Boy” or his Wild Boy persona.
Don’t get me wrong, Wild Boy is a great song, I LOVE IT! But his other music is DEEP.
You can feel his pain and emotion in every song he sings.
I can’t tell you how many times this kid has brought me to tears.
One time, I will never forget, he came to Canada and he was so happy to be there. He crouched down right in front of me and he said “Kate, I’m so HAPPY.” I was so HAPPY for him. Seeing him happy makes us feel great!
I don’t know how else to explain the movement because it’s unexplainable, but there are hundreds of thousands of us who believe so much in him, this movement and EST. We will NEVER give up on him. NEVER!
Lace Up to us means you can do whatever you want in life. You can’t let anything hold you back from being the bEST you can be. You need to LACE UP and do it!
If that’s not a positive message to send out to todays youth, I don’t know what is.
mgkestfam.com 
This was BEAUTIFUL! I’m at a loss of words! You explained everything Perfectly! LOVE! EST 4 LIFE mufucka!! =)
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Kate! You did such an amazing job on this website. It’s really beautiful!! I still find it so hard to believe that one of my bEST friends lives in another country and music brought us together! love ya!
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Kate, you are truly one of a kind! I am at a loss for words right now! I am so happy to be apart of a movement like EST. Not going to lie, this definitely brought tears to me eyes 🙂 Love this!
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Kate!!! This is amazing! I don’t think I have ever read something so beautiful! EST til the death of me!
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:”’)!
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This was beautiful. And I agree, I’ve seen Janet Jackson, Usher, New Edition, etc. And they are great performers, GREAT. But, I have never (in person) seen anyone put their heart into a song like he does (maybe Mary J. or Fantasia) but that is it. It’s like he’s a different caliber, he has a gift.
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this is beautiful Kate! You sound exactly like my type of person! How you said everything, it was amazing!! I am SOO proud to be apart of this beautiful movement! It’s beautiful. & Like you said “If that’s not a positive message to send out to todays youth, I don’t know what is.” This whole website is Amazing!! GREAT job Kate! Lace UP!!! With love* EST its 4Life
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This, is everything! It’s so hard for some people to understand the devotion EST has & why we are the way we are, & you basically just summed it up & put it into words, beautifully! I am like you, he didn’t save my life, or get me off drugs.. but this whole movement & the music is my escape & keeps me sane in this oh so fucked up world. EST girl til the casket close!
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This is the first time I’ve ever read your story. It’s so true and well stated, I agree with you completely! Beautiful job on this post and the website in general.
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How do I get my lace up tattoo pics on here?
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Email us: mgkestfam@gmail.com
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Wow. Thank you for this! So many people don’t understand why I love kells. Now I can just send them this link, which explains it all!
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you have taken everything that I feel about EST, mgk, the music, the movement, EVERYTHING into words. ive tried so hard to try to explain it to other people who aren’t a part of the EST Family and its SO HARD to describe. being a part of this is completely indescrible. thank you!
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Thanks for the awesome Page
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I got a lot of respect for the laced up movement especially my man MGK his music reaches the fans and gives a message to stand up for your what you believe especially for people of our generation need a leader that shows you its okay to believe in yourself and be you and say hey fuck the haters if you wanna help the people help them if you wanna show the fans that you write for them because your standing for the kids which never had nothing or was always teased or picked on that he does this for them so he says Lace up for your dreams 100miles and running EST19XX FOR LIFE
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YOU’RE FUCKING AWESOME!!!!
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This message is for Kate and crew, your website and enthusiasm for MGK is awesome. I am a promoter in Akron Ohio and I am interested in booking a show with MGK in the spring. Would you help promote this date on your web site?
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Of course. Anything I can do to spread the movement. I have many EST outlets where I can get the word out once you’ve booked him. 🙂
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It is really amazing what you have done to bring many EST fans together. EST19XX 4 LIFE
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Hi Kate! So much fun reading your story especially because I can really relate! Since you seem to be the expert, I figured it couldn’t hurt to reach out to you; I just got tickets to see MGK in Vegas in February! I have been searching endlessly to find out about meet and greet tickets with MGK at the concert but haven’t found anything! Do you have any recommendations or have any insider knowledge you can share? Feel free to shoot me an email at ziararharney@gmail.com. Thanks!
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Im sorry, I can’t help. I would look for any after parties he’s hosting, maybe you can catch him there. Good Luck and HAVE THE bEST TIME AT THE SHOW!!!!
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Thank you, I’ll do some more searching!! How did you get into all the previous meet and greets?
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I love what you wrote ❤️ I wish I could go to one of his concerts. I bet it’s just as amazing as you described. I think if I actually met MGK I would pass out lol
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