Post Malone’s father says his expectations for his son had little to do with becoming famous. Whatever Austin Post chose to do, Rich Post wanted him to take the work seriously.
Rich recalled the advice in an interview on Jeremy G. Barker’s 90 Proof Wisdom podcast, describing a conversation they had after Austin left college.
The episode was published on November 12, 2025, and a clip has drawn renewed attention this month.
Rich also answered a question he regularly gets about having a famous son, explaining why his pride in Austin began long before anyone knew him as Post Malone.
Rich Told Austin to Do His Best, Whatever the Job
Rich said he did not mind which career Austin chose, provided “you’re the best at it that you can be,” according to Holler’s account of the interview.
He illustrated the point with an unlikely example. Austin could decide to make a living picking up dog poop, and Rich would still expect him to do the job well.
He took the example a step further. Austin should do such a good job that a customer would recommend him when a neighbor got a puppy. Rich also urged his children to be genuine, praising both Austin and his stepbrother Mitchell for that quality.
He Compares His Pride to Watching Austin Play T-Ball
Asked what his son’s success feels like, Rich recalled watching Austin get his first T-ball hit at about 4 years old. The audience has grown, but he said the feeling has not changed.
He described parental pride as something children can recognize and that a parent cannot convincingly manufacture or pretend to feel. “I’m not a super dad because my son’s a world-known musician,” Rich said. “I’m a super dad because I’m Austin Post’s dad.”
Austin Gave His Family Little Notice Before Moving to Los Angeles
The move into music surprised his family. In a 2016 Dallas Observer profile, Rich recalled Austin announcing shortly before Christmas 2013 that he planned to move to Los Angeles the following week. He had not completed his first semester of college.
Neither Rich nor Austin’s stepmother, Jodie, expected him to follow through. He did.
When Rich first visited in October 2014, he found Austin sleeping in a closet after giving up his bedroom for a recording studio. During the visit, producer FKi 1st praised Austin’s talent to his father.
Rich Introduced Austin to Rock and Hip-Hop
Rich had helped shape his son’s musical interests much earlier. He worked as a wedding and events DJ when Austin was young and introduced him to artists including Metallica, Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.
Father and son also spent hours playing Guitar Hero. When Austin took up a real guitar, his parents offered lessons if he kept at it, but he had already taught himself to play by then.
Post Malone Has Called Rich His Biggest Fan
In a 2023 Esquire interview, Post said Rich had joined him on tour for a couple of weeks. “He’s been my biggest fan forever,” he said, recalling his father’s support when he was still singing Metallica covers in his bedroom.
After Post’s daughter was born in May 2022, Rich found another way to welcome his son into fatherhood. Looking at the baby through the nursery window, he told him, “Now you can tell dad jokes.”