Post Malone's music tends to cover a broad range of issues.
And while this upbeat rapper might seem like a force of free-wheeling positivity, his lyrics
can also deal with some pretty tough stuff.
Here are the real meanings behind some of Post Malone's most popular songs.
When Post Malone released his debut album Stoney towards the end of 2016, nobody expected
it to contain the reveal that the star is actually kind of a doomsday prepper.
Of course, it does make sense, considering the rapper is a huge champion of the second
amendment - something that comes out in the song "Patient", when he raps:
"Sleep right next to the F&N / motherf---s the government / shut down all the plotting."
In a video for Genius' "Verified" series, Post explained the true meaning behind some
of his lyrics on "Patient."
"I think it's on the way.
That's why I'm building an apocalypse shelter.
Think that sounds extreme?
Well, when Montreality asked him to name the biggest lie in the world, Post replied:
"Biggest lie would have to be the f---ing US government, actually."
It's safe to say that Post Malone didn't know Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez very well, if
he did at all.
The rapper wasn't exactly a celebrity at the time of Yams' passing, so there's a good chance
they have never even crossed paths.
A$AP Rocky's longtime collaborator passed away from an accidental overdose in January
2015, but Post only rose to fame a month later when he released his debut single "White Iverson."
Nonetheless, the Stoney rapper was so deeply impacted by the late A$AP Mob founder's contribution
to the genre that he penned the song "Too Young" about his death.
In a side-bar Genius annotation, Post spoke about how "Too Young" served as an ode to
the late hip-hop tastemaker.
He wrote:
"We weren't friends, but I think it was so cool how he was a cultural icon, and he inspired
so many people to do what they wanted to do.
I think it was a tragedy that he went so soon.
I just thought it was the right thing, to pay tribute to him."
Nirvana might just be Post's favorite band.
He's covered some of the grunge legends' biggest hits over the years, including "All Apologies"
and "Lithium," the latter of which the rapper busted out during his epic 2016 Coachella
set.
Post even has a Nirvana tattoo on his face and his finger.
But his connection to Cobain may be a little deeper than just simply liking the tune of
"Smells Like Teen Spirit."
In fact, both artists seem to have struggled with fame, and both endured a great deal of
tragedy in their lives.
In Post's case, his everyday bad luck has come in the form of a home invasion and robbery,
an aircraft emergency and a late-night car crash, among other things.
Beyond those, however, he has also struggled emotionally.
Just take his track "Goodbyes", for example, in which Post compares himself to Kurt Cobain.
At the opening of the song, Post sings:
"Me and Kurt feel the same, too much pleasure is pain."
In 2019, Malone worried fans when he called for them to help him "be mentally stable"
in a tweet.
He added:
"Can y'all please let me live?
I'm trying my best here.
That's all I can do."
Post Malone's popularity has partly come down to the fact the guy is so relatable, having
pulled such stunts as winning $50,000 in a beer pong competition and ordering 10,000
biscuits from Popeyes for his Coachella party.
Post has even been willing to admit on record that he's just a regular dude who, in his
words, doesn't "make the best music ever", and whose success comes down to his relatability.
And this is very apparent in his description of the song "Patient."
The track sees Post rap:
"Young Post be like Pablo / And they all love the blow, yeah."
Surprisingly, there isn't really a lot of depth to this line.
In a video for Genius' "Verified" series, the rapper admitted that he name-dropped Pablo
Escobar simply because he was on a Narcos Netflix kick when he wrote the song.
"I was watching Narcos writing this, so I said shout out to Pablo."
Casual Post Malone fans might have been pretty confused when they first listened to the track
"Psycho" - especially the song's references to somebody called DeChino.
Malone made references to his alter ego Leon DeChino prior to the release of Beerbongs
& Bentleys, which broke streaming records and landed the star his first No. 1 album.
In a 2016 interview with The Breakfast Club, the rapper admitted that he invented the character
when he was a teenager.
"I was a teenager.
I was like just turned 17.
In the middle of transition to a weird period where I wanted to have fun and just be weird."
And he certainly never expected DeChino to become quite so popular.
"I never planned to have anybody see something of mine a million times."
A million is an understatement, too.
Fans have collectively streamed the music video featuring DeChino himself more than
9 million times.
Sadly, these days, the rapper can't even seem to remember his own alter-ego's backstory.
Post Malone might be living like a rockstar these days, but when the rapper isn't walking
red carpets and headlining festivals, it's pretty clear that he's actually kind of a
nerd.
Post unveiled his true gamer credentials on the Beerbong & Bentleys track "Psycho."
You might think the song's about going totally crazy, but as it turns out, the entire thing
could be a reference to the popular first-person shooter game Fallout.
In the chorus, the rapper repeats the line:
"Damn, my AP going psycho."
As Fallout fans will know, Psycho is an injectable drug that gives a user more action points
- or, going with Post's abbreviation, AP.
It's not a very surprising reference either, since Posty is just about the biggest Fallout
fan on the planet.
In 2018, the star took to Twitter to proclaim:
"More excited for Fallout than my actual real life."
Which is saying something, considering that was the year he won a Billboard Music Award,
MTV Video Music Award, and two American Music Awards.
The Stoney track "Deja Vu" contains a couple of random Easter eggs - such as a George Strait
reference that, let's be honest, not a lot of Post Malone fans will have picked up on.
But what really stands out during that song is Post Malone's explicit willingness to drive
while under the influence.
In the bridge, Post sings:
"Show up in that new Mercedes, you already know I'm faded / Girl, I've been thinking
about you lately."
In case you're not aware, the "faded" here is a slang term that usually refers to being
high on marijuana.
In Genius' "Verified" series, Malone is asked - point blank - about driving under the influence
of drugs and alcohol.
In response, Post claimed that the lyrics weren't at all related to that subject, and
that he doesn't like to promote that message.
Then again, he also said this.
"You know, if you've gotta do it.
Show up for your sexy lady dude, then I think it's worth it."
Which… isn't a great look.
Don't blaze and drive.
Who would have ever thought that Post Malone is a massive fan of a certain, highly-revered,
early aughts emo band?
Now, Fall Out Boy doesn't have a whole lot of cred in the world of gangster rap, but
they're still pretty popular with anyone who spent their teen years watching DIY shows
in VFW halls.
A closer look will reveal that Post is, indeed, an unabashed emo kid, a fact that's clear
even if you don't take into account the time he performed at Emo Night in Los Angeles.
In Post's Hollywood's Bleeding track "Wow," the star raps about "bumpin' Fall Out Boy"
in his "720S."
Translation: Post probably blasts "Sugar We're Going Down" when he's cruising around in his
McLaren 720S Spider.
And let's face it, that's one hell of a flex.
"Wow" was also the second time Post ignited rumors about a Fall Out Boy collaboration.
The star first had the Warped Tour world buzzing when he appeared in the band's 2017 video
for "Champion."
Though no collab has happened thus far, it's clear the rapper does have a not-so-secret
emo edge.
"Wow" isn't just the song that revealed Post was a secret emo kid, though - it might also
have predicted the future.
In the song, Post makes a reference to the Dallas Cowboys.
According to Genius, the star's family moved to Texas when his father got a job with the
team, and Post ended up becoming a massive fan.
He even admitted that he'd hang around the stadium as a kid and "got free chicken fingers"
since his dad worked as an assistant director of food and beverage for the team.
So far, so normal, right?
But things started to get weird when Post rapped about a specific play:
"Always going for it, never punt fourth down / Last call, Hail Mary, Prescott touchdown."
Strangely enough, a near identical play happened after the song was released.
Quarterback Dak Prescott connected with wide receiver Cole Beasley for a 32-yard touchdown
pass on fourth and 15 with a minute remaining in the game.
This was a game-winning play, and even Prescott admitted it was uncanny.
He told Dallas News:
"I was like, 'Oh, damn.'
I might need to get Post to write more songs.
Super Bowl songs"
And here's where it gets even weirder: Post was reportedly attending that very game.
Post Malone was thrust into fame when he released his debut single "White Iverson" in 2015.
Post has revealed more recently that the song got its start on college radio before rising
up the Billboard charts.
He has even claimed he used to perform the track twice in each set, because it was pretty
much his only good song.
But even that song might never have existed if Post hadn't gotten experimental… with
his hair, that is.
In a Genius side-bar annotation, Post admitted that "White Iverson" was inspired by the hairstyle
he got when he first moved to Los Angeles.
He wrote:
"I liked the way braids looked.
I'd moved in with a bunch of friends, and I just said I wanted to get braids.
So my friend came over and did it.
[...] A year later, I made this song and made this beat, and it just worked out.
All the jujus aligned, and it just happened to turn out to be a really cool song."
Post claimed the lyrics were "kind of a joke" because he looked a little bit like the famed
basketball player Allen Iverson with his patented 'do.
It's not like the rapper was ever expecting to be a rock star or anything, but after the
song got so popular, Post decided braids really were his thing.
In 2017, Post Malone apologized via tweet for the fact that his album Beerbongs & Bentleys
had been delayed, but this wasn't the first time the rapper had to push back a release
date.
On the song "Patient," Post revealed that at least one of his delayed albums was not
his fault.
In fact, the album - most likely 2016's Stoney - was delayed so badly that Post thought some
individuals deserved a good, old fashioned rap call out.
The call out was fairly subtle, but Post pointed Genius towards the lyrics:
"They will never stop the plan / Eighty jumpin' off my hand / Rollie, rollie, rollie / bust
it open, holy moly."
So who was he - in his own words - snapping on?
He didn't name names, but he wouldn't let them hold him back either way.
"I see people are like hey you know this guy?
Yeah I'm like I know them, but work with them no more."
It doesn't matter if you're traveling in a cushy tour bus, a broken down van, or a private
plane - things always get dramatic on tour.
You're in a high-pressure, exhausting environment where you can't get away from the people you've
brought with you, and even if you love them, you're bound to snap eventually.
And that's exactly what Post Malone sings about on "Deja Vu."
Post's Justin Bieber collaboration was certified double platinum, but it took some pretty rough
stuff to happen on tour for him to write it.
On his Genius notes, the star referred to the lyrics:
"Tell me if you want it, baby / 'Cause I know I can drive you crazy."
He explained:
"It’s tough, because you’re cooped up.
You guys are fist-fighting, going crazy.
It’s weird.
There’s a lot of drama, but it’s OK ‘cause we work through it."
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