Show & Prove: Post Malone Is More Than “White Iverson”

Show & Prove: Post Malone
Words Dan Rys
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of of XXL Magazine, on stands now.

To hear Post Malone tell it, his recent success has happened out of nowhere. The now-20-year-old rapper/singer was still a teenager when he released his breakout hit, “White Iverson,” this past February, only the second officially-released song of his entire career to that point. But off the strength of the record’s infectious hook and the co-signs of Atlanta production duo FKi (who crafted the beat) and A-Town rapper Key!, the song quickly took off. Six months later it has 25 million SoundCloud streams and six million YouTube views to date.

Born in Syracuse, N.Y., Malone moved to Dallas when he was 10 years old after his father took a job as head of concessions for the Dallas Cowboys. Raised on a combination of folk, rock and hip-hop, Malone was a guitar prodigy as a teenager before he started making beats at 16, and soon put out a rap mixtape for friends at Grapevine High School.

After graduating high school in 2013, Post moved to L.A. with no clear plan but to make music, somehow and some way. “I was grinding, getting it any way I could,” he says. “I didn’t really have nothing, just going to the studio when I could.”

At one of those studio sessions, he met 1st, one half of FKi, and the two began making music together. Malone’s first song, “That’s It,” was released this past January, and “White Iverson” exploded the following month. By mid-August, Post had a record deal with Republic Records and is now hoping to get his debut album out by the end of the year.

“There’s no talent like him,” says Dre London, who co-manages Malone with Az Cohen of 300. “Guitar, rapping, singing; he covers all boards.”

And with an eclectic background, Malone doesn’t see himself limited by any genre. “I’m hungry. I’m ready to grow,” he says. “I just want to keep making music and see where everything goes.”

Check out more from our Fall 2015 issue including our cover story with Future and interviews with Mac Miller, Scarface, Damian Lillard and August Alsina, a look at the beef between Meek Mill and Drake compared to 50 Cent and Ja Rule, profiles on Southside, Metro Boomin and London On Da Track and more.