[P]ost Malone’s first single of 2017 – “Congratulations” – just went platinum. It’s yet another indication that his debut full-length album Stoney has established the artist otherwise known as Austin Post as a key figure in the global rap scene. Between his braids, gold fronts, chains and the fur coat he wears to our shoot, the man behind “White Iverson” is bringing throwback Southern s­wag to a millennial audience, with a whole lot of heart. And he’s racking up the streams, sales and shows to prove it’s working.

Born in Syracuse, New York and later moving to the suburbs of Dallas, Texas – Post Malone grew up listening to his Dad’s record collection spanning from Megadeth to Tupac. An obsession with Guitar Hero led to him learning the instrument for real (he now has an actual Louis Vuitton guitar).

Combining sparse beats and lyricism with country-infused melodies Post is picking up where the likes of Bubba Sparxxx left off. Creating his own unique sound dubbed ‘Trap Folk’, he has won co-signs from Kanye and Justin Bieber – and recently achieved over 1 billion streams of his debut album Stoney. We caught up with the Texan charmer to find that he’s taking it all in his stride.