Post Malone emerged as one of the most commercially successful artists of the streaming era, blending hip-hop, pop, alternative rock, and country. Raised in Texas, he taught himself guitar after playing Guitar Hero and broke into the music industry after his 2015 self-released single "White Iverson" went viral on SoundCloud. His subsequent studio albums, including Beerbongs & Bentleys, Hollywood's Bleeding, and the country-focused F-1 Trillion, delivered historic chart-toppers such as "Rockstar", "Circles", "Sunflower", and "I Had Some Help". In addition to his studio releases and tours, he has acted in feature films, curated video game soundtracks, and established business ventures in footwear, wine, and collectible trading cards.
Post Malone topped global charts with diamond singles like "Rockstar" and "Circles", earned the highest-certified track in RIAA history with "Sunflower", and steered his genre-blending style into country music on F-1 Trillion. Born Austin Richard Post in Syracuse, New York, he built a sound across rap, pop, rock, and Americana.
Personal life and health
Malone bought a mountain home in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, in 2019 to step away from Los Angeles. He welcomed a daughter in May 2022 with his then-fiancée, Hee Sung "Jamie" Park. To mark her arrival, he tattooed her initials, "DDP", onto his forehead. The pair ended their engagement in late 2024.
He has spoken openly about his struggles with heavy drinking. Meeting his partner helped him regain control. He credited the birth of his daughter with giving him a renewed focus on his well-being, though he does not consider himself fully sober. In 2021, he underwent extensive dental reconstruction to fit custom porcelain veneers with diamond fangs totaling twelve carats.
His body is covered in tattoos, many inked by himself. In August 2018, he walked away unharmed after a private jet blew two tires upon takeoff from New Jersey and made an emergency landing. Weeks later, he survived a car collision in Santa Monica.
Early years and "White Iverson"
Austin Richard Post grew up listening to eclectic record collections introduced by his father, a former DJ. When he was nine, the family moved to Grapevine, Texas, where his father managed concessions for the Dallas Cowboys. Video games sparked his musical interest. Playing Guitar Hero led him to pick up a real guitar, and he soon played in a local metalcore band.
He created his stage name at fourteen using an online rap name generator. At Grapevine High School, classmates voted him "Most Likely to Become Famous". After a brief stint at Tarrant County College, he dropped out and moved to Los Angeles with video game streamer Jason Probst.
Living in the San Fernando Valley, he formed the music collective BLCKVRD and met production duo FKi and producer Rex Kudo. Malone wrote and recorded "White Iverson" over a two-day span in early 2015. He posted the song to SoundCloud. It exploded online. Within months, he signed a recording deal with Republic Records, joined Kanye West on the track "Fade", and opened for Justin Bieber on the Purpose World Tour.
Commercial breakthrough and multi-platinum albums
His debut studio album, Stoney, arrived in December 2016. It broke Michael Jackson's longstanding record on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart by logging 77 weeks on the ranking. The Quavo collaboration "Congratulations" earned Diamond certification and helped establish his mainstream presence.
He followed with Beerbongs & Bentleys in 2018. The album broke first-day streaming records on Spotify and produced consecutive Hot 100 number-one singles with "Rockstar" and "Psycho". His 2018 duet with Swae Lee, "Sunflower", recorded for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, became the first single in RIAA history to achieve double-diamond certification.
His third album, Hollywood's Bleeding, debuted atop the Billboard 200 in September 2019. Its lead single "Circles" spent 61 weeks on the Hot 100. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, he led a livestream of Nirvana covers with drummer Travis Barker, raising more than $5 million for relief efforts.
Pop experiments and country crossover
Malone explored introspective songwriting on his fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache, in 2022, followed by the guitar-driven Austin in 2023. Both records reached number two on the Billboard 200.
He shifted toward country music in 2024. He performed "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVIII before guesting on Taylor Swift's chart-topping single "Fortnight" and Beyoncé's "Levii's Jeans". His collaborative single with Morgan Wallen, "I Had Some Help", broke single-day country streaming records on Spotify and reached number one across pop and country airplay charts.
His country debut album, F-1 Trillion, was released in August 2024. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured collaborations with Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Brad Paisley, and Dolly Parton.
Acting and business ventures
Malone also expanded into film and business. He appeared in the 2020 action film Spenser Confidential, played a role in Wrath of Man, and voiced Ray Fillet in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
His commercial partnerships include five collaborative footwear lines with Crocs and a French rosé wine brand, Maison No. 9, launched in 2020. An avid collector of Magic: The Gathering, he collaborated with Wizards of the Coast on custom card releases and purchased the one-of-a-kind "The One Ring" trading card for over $2 million.
Quick facts
- He learned to play guitar after becoming obsessed with the video game Guitar Hero.
- He broke a guitar string during an audition for the metalcore group Crown the Empire in 2010 and was rejected.
- Classmates at Grapevine High School voted him "Most Likely to Become Famous".
- He created the stage name Post Malone around age fourteen using an online rap name generator.
- He recorded his breakthrough song "White Iverson" two days after writing it.
- His 2018 duet "Sunflower" with Swae Lee became the first single in RIAA history to receive a double-diamond certification.
- His 2016 album Stoney broke Michael Jackson's Thriller record for the most weeks on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- In April 2020, he performed a full livestream set of Nirvana covers with Travis Barker, raising over $5 million for COVID-19 relief.
- He underwent dental reconstruction in 2021 that included twelve carats of functional diamond fangs.
- He purchased the unique, one-of-a-kind "The One Ring" Magic: The Gathering trading card for more than $2 million.
FAQs about Post Malone
How did Post Malone get his name?
He kept his real last name, Post, and entered it into an online rap name generator around age fourteen to generate "Malone".
Where did Post Malone grow up?
He was born in Syracuse, New York, and moved at age nine to Grapevine, Texas, where he attended Grapevine High School.
Does Post Malone have children?
He has one daughter, born in May 2022, whose initials "DDP" are tattooed on his forehead.
What was Post Malone's first hit song?
"White Iverson" was his breakthrough single in 2015, written and recorded within two days before being uploaded to SoundCloud.
What instruments does Post Malone play?
He is a vocalist and guitarist who initially learned to play guitar through the video game Guitar Hero before learning on real instruments.
Also view
Suggest an edit to this profile
Spotted something wrong or missing? Tell us what should change and, if you can, where you saw it.