Dropping basketball references like the old-school but wrapping them in thoroughly modern beats, Post Malone hit in 2015 with his single "White Iverson." Raised in Dallas, Malone was NFL before he was NBA thanks to a father who worked for the Cowboys. He loved music from a young age, and planned on joining a band thanks to the video game Guitar Hero, but when his dad gave him a copy of Terror Squad's hit "Lean Back," Post decided to become an MC. He hung with Dallas crew the IRAS until a move to the West Coast dropped him in Los Angeles.

After putting some braids in his hair, he coined the term "White Iverson," and when he posted the track in early 2015, he hit a million views within the month. Malone signed with the Republic label later that year. In 2016, he released the single "Go Flex" along with his official debut mixtape, August 26th, which was actually released in May. Months later, his first studio effort arrived. Stoney featured guests like Justin Bieber, Migos' Quavo, and Kehlani. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and was certified multi-platinum.

Following the success of his debut, Post issued the singles "rockstar" with 21 Savage and "Psycho" with Ty Dolla $ign. The former topped the Hot 100 for weeks while the latter peaked at number two. The tracks landed on his sophomore follow-up, Beerbongs & Bentleys, which landed at number one upon its release. Along with producers like Scott Storch, PartyNextDoor, Louis Bell, and London on da Track, the effort also featured guest rappers Nicki Minaj, YG, and G-Eazy, among others. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi