In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, legendary music executive Dre London opens up about his journey from South London’s grind to becoming one of the most influential figures in global music and business. Known for discovering and managing Post Malone for over a decade, Dre London recounts how he found the young artist in 2014, took creative risks others wouldn’t, and turned those instincts into record-breaking success.
Dre London’s story began in Brixton, South London, where his early entrepreneurial drive was impossible to miss. By his teenage years, he was already finding inventive ways to make money, from running delivery routes to buying truck operations, signaling a determination far beyond his years. In 2008, he took a leap that would change everything, moving to America to chase opportunity and learn the business from the ground up.
His first years in New York were all hustle, connecting with rising artists like French Montana, navigating club promotion before the streaming era, and mastering the mechanics of building buzz. By 2014, his move to Los Angeles led him to a content house where he met 18-year-old Austin Post, soon to become Post Malone.
Dre London saw potential others overlooked. Encouraging Post to blend his guitar skills with melodic rap, he helped shape what became the genre-bending sound behind “White Iverson.” With just a few hundred followers at the time, Dre London built the rollout strategically, holding back visuals until the timing was right. When the song exploded online, it changed everything.
From “Congratulations” to “Rockstar” and “Sunflower,” Dre London played a key role in building one of modern music’s most successful careers. He often bet on himself, financing videos, negotiating partnerships, and challenging industry norms. His fearless approach turned skepticism into platinum success, proving that instinct and execution can outpace any formula.
But Dre London’s ambitions went beyond music. During the 2020 pandemic, he pivoted from managing artists to managing assets, launching his own tequila brand, Don Londres. The idea was born from his belief in ownership and legacy, and built through persistence and precision. A chance meeting connected him to Francisco Gonzalez, the son of Don Julio’s founder, leading to a collaboration rooted in authenticity and craftsmanship.
Don Londres was designed differently from the start. Dre London wanted to create a smooth, premium tequila made with women in mind, packaged in a bottle that felt both elegant and collectible. Without relying on celebrity partnerships or major investors, he built the brand independently, handling everything from licensing to tastings. Within just 18 months, Don Londres surpassed $2 million in sales and distributed over 10,000 cases, expanding into the U.S., Canada, and the UK, including retail placement at Costco.
As Dre London transitions from artist management to entrepreneurship, his focus is on legacy and ownership. His partnership with Post Malone may have ended, but he continues to evolve, developing a solar-powered real estate project in Georgia, managing new talent like Lil Q from Memphis, and producing his first feature film, 86, set for the festival circuit.
For Dre London, every chapter of his story has been about vision and execution. From Brixton to Beverly Hills, from studio sessions to boardroom tables, he’s proven that success isn’t just about making hits, it’s about building empires that last.
