Long before White Iverson, face tattoos, and sold out arenas, Post Malone was just a teenager in Texas messing around with a camera, a synth beat, and a very questionable pair of shorts.
The internet now calls this era Pre Malone.
His high school art project, a music video called Why Don’t You Love Me? was uploaded to YouTube and years later turned into a full blown meme.
Meet Leon DeChino
In the video, Post Malone does not appear at all. Instead, we get his alter ego Leon DeChino, dancing around in hot pants to a parody synth pop track that feels part 80s throwback, part in joke. It is awkward, silly, and very clearly not meant to be taken seriously.
Which is exactly why it works.
It was created as a high school art project, not a serious attempt at a music career. In an interview with The Grapevine Edit, Post explained that it came from messing around with a friend and buying a ridiculous outfit from a vintage shop.
“It was me and a good buddy of mine, Jason. We always used to make skits and mess around and have fun and just make funny stuff. We originally made it for a school project, for art class. We went to a vintage store and bought the outfit and we were like, this is perfect. Everything in life is just about having fun and expressing yourself. A lot of people take themselves a little bit too seriously, so I think it’s important not to and to be yourself.”
The clip quietly reappeared online in 2016, once Post Malone was already famous, and the internet did what it does best.
The reason the video keeps going viral is not to embarrass him. It actually does the opposite.
Pre Malone is funny, self aware, and clearly not trying to be cool.
Leon DeChino even gets a nod years later on Psycho, when Post raps, “Hunnid bands inside my shorts, DeChino the s***”.
From meme to multi platinum star, the glow up is real.
