Post Malone is quite possibly one of the most interesting, talented and misunderstood artists in the industry right now. Though he is widely known for his extremely popular song "White Iverson" he shouldn't be defined by the track because it virtually represents about an eight of what this Texas-bred musician is capable of.
Though "White Iverson" helped to create an insane amount of buzz for Post Malone, whose real name is Austin Richard Post, he really blew up because his music's unique and dynamic sound that captivates fans from all genres and backgrounds. Post often cites his musical influence to his upbringing in Grapevine, Texas and his Father, who introduced him to all forms of music throughout his youth including Country. His trajectory to this point in his career is the result of relentless ambition and a small portion of chance.
Post Malone had started recording music as a teenager after learning how to produce music on FL Studio. By the time he was 16 he was working on his first mixtape and learning how to play the guitar. By the time he was 18 in he decided to ditch out on community college and move to Los Angeles to start working on his dream.
Before long he crossed paths with production duo FKi and thus, "White Iverson" was created. Initially, Post didn't have plans to drop "White Iverson" but it somehow leaked and some DJ's in Miami spun the record and the rest is history.
Now it's 2017 and Post Malone has successfully released two projects, has two platinum singles and a platinum plaque for his debut album Stoney. While his story isn't at all an overnight success, it all happened rather quickly and we are going to try and do our best to illustrate Post Malone's come up with this week's essential tracks feature.
Post Malone
"That's It"
Because of the fact that we are pretty sure you have already heard it, "White Iverson" will not appear on the list. However, we will use it as a point of reference to better shape the window opportunity for Post Malone following the release of the track.
This particular song actually came out before "White Iverson" but didn't really begin to gain such wide popularity until after the viral rise of the track. Nonetheless "That's It" is a certified essential to any listener's Post Malone library because it is the literal starting point of his career as well as the perfect start to delve into his rich and interesting discography. "That's It" utilizes an electric sample and spotlights Post Malone's progressive flow. The track is really different from what was popular at the time and is a great example of the range Post Malone has.
Plus this track is like a classic for the OG Post Malone fans so we had to start off with it.
"Tears"
Post Malone has time and time again asserted that he does not view himself as just a rapper and "Tears" is an awesome song to prove that to be true. While Post does drop rap-sung bars on this track, most of what really makes this record so legendary is the hook. The way Post Malone's shimmering vocals cascade down the simple but flexy lyrics "I wipe my tears with the money eyy" is trance inducing and it is easy to see why this track caught on. It's also worth noting that "What's Up" was neck and neck with this "Tears" for this spot on the list, as both tracks are worthy to thrive on it, so enjoy both of them below.
"Too Young"
Still just before the release of "White Iverson" Post Malone released "Too Young" which is possibly one of his biggest songs to date. Once again "Too Young" features a vocally inclined Post Malone finessing the beat with his undeniably trill lyrics and Southern twang.
Also, even more than the last track, this joint is very much a hybrid of Post Malone's rap-sung style and another great reference point for where this guy has come from versus where he is now.
"Never Understand" Ft. Larry June
Here is the real turning point in the list. Post "White Iverson" Post Malone has garnered all the buzz and notoriety for his music and has fans and the world at large clamoring for more music. But due to the success of "White Iverson" Post was painted into a corner to some degree as a result of the general public's expectations for his scope, longevity and ultimately the skepticism on whether or not he could craft a quality full-length release.
Post Malone put all those doubts to rest though with the summer release of his August 26th project featuring bangers like "Monta" "Fuck" and many more. The lead single from the project "Never Understand" is anything but a banger, but is worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things because it accurately depicts this point in the timeline of Post Malone's come-up.
He croons over the magical army of flutes "I'm just trying to be who I am it's just something they will never understand." It's a powerful track with a very lighthearted listening experience and is definitely an underrated song for sure.
"Money Made Me Do It" Ft. 2 Chainz
Other than the fact that this is one of Post Malone's first high profile collaborations, and the fact that the song is as hot as a California wildfire in the summertime, there isn't any particular reason for this track to be on the list. By this point, Post Malone has proved himself as a viable artist and begun the initial hacks at carving out his own lane.
"Money Made Me Do It" is just another reason why Post Malone is as up as he is now.
Also, in a brief side note, we thought it would be appropriate to set the thumbnail for this entry as Post Malone's custom out 1992 Ford Explorer because the whip is super sauce and will be featured on a special episode of Inside West Coast Customs and also, because the money obviously made him trick out this whip.
"Go Flex"
So before there was someone like Post Malone, a rapper infusing Country Music with Hip Hop, there was the one and only Nelly. If we are not mistaken, Nelly put out some ridiculously dope tracks in his career that took pages out of both of the musical genres books. First, there was that the Nelly and Toby Keith collab for the ultra-glorious track "Over And Over Again" and then the following year Nelly dropped the single "Only Just A Dream" a country-infused, pop banger.
Six years later up pops Post Malone with another genre-bending track titled "Go Flex." This track was released shortly after "White Iverson" and helped carry fans through the period before the August 26th mixtape and his debut album Stoney.
This track has this crazy energy and style that is one of a kind. We feel like Nelly would be proud of Post Malone for this one, which is part of the reason it is such an essential track.
"Deja Vu" Ft. Justin Bieber
Another critical release for Post Malone just before his debut album dropped is his collaboration with Justin Bieber on "Deja Vu." Around this point in time Post Malone and Justin Bieber were making their rounds in Hollywood, horse playing in nightclubs and touring the world on Bieber's Purpose Tour.
It is important to note relationships Post Malone has with people like Bieber and FKi because they are very instrumental to the story of his rise to fame. FKi gave him the tools and the connections he needed to go next level and Bieber gave Malone the platform to ultimately blow up as fast and hard as he did.
Also, "Deja Vu" is the type of spacey, serine, smooth track that is deserving of some shine.
"Big Lie"
While Post Malone's discography isn't extremely large, it is filled with great tracks and that makes it really hard to narrow the list down to just 10 tracks. With that being said, there was another neck and neck tie between "Big Lie" and "I Fall Apart" but as you can see, "Big Lie" prevailed.
"Big Lie" is probably the most Post Malone-esque song on the whole album because it truly combines all of his musical tendencies. This record is a vibe and if you are sleeping on it, wake up.
For the heck of it though, peep both tracks below.
"Feeling Whitney"
If one thing is for sure, it's the fact that "Feeling Whitney" is one hell of a way to end an album. This track finds Post Malone at his rawest/purest form bearing it all with his stripped down vocals over the soft and rhythmic tempo of his guitar.
In a way, this track could be interpreted as a subliminal message from Post Malone. It's as if Post was trying to illustrate his authenticity through it all and prove that at the end of the day, it is all about the music and the artform of creating it. At any rate, the song is up for your interpretation, but either way it's an admirable track and 100 percent essential to any Post Malone playlist anywhere.
"Congratulations" Ft. Quavo
This is literally the perfect way to end the official list because if it is anything Post Malone is deserving of, it's a congratulatory pat on the back. Virtually off the back of one song Post Malone has created quite a successful career for himself and it looks like he will be around a very long time if he continues on the upward trend he's currently on.
Along with his album, this track just recently went platinum so congratulations Post Malone!
Honorable Mention: "Up There"
Once again it is a battle of the songs for the Honorable Mention spot on the list. This time it is between "Up There" and "Yours Truly, Austin Post." While the two tracks lie on either side of the musical spectrum, with "Up There" taking more of a soulful Blues feel versus "Yours Truly, Austin Post" which opts for a more overt and aggressive tone, both tracks are more than worthy for the list.
Enjoy!