![Post Malone, Toby Keith](https://cdn.statically.io/img/people.com/thmb/pOX-MpvAOHxQKZdJKrq9hg0SK18=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/post-malone-tobey-keith-tout-031123-fefee0c95efc407a9c776e7ced8cedaf.jpg)
Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty, Rick Diamond/Getty
The late Toby Keith has a fan in Post Malone.
The rapper/singer performed a cover of Keith's "As Good as I Once Was" during his set at the American Rodeo in Dallas on Saturday and poured beer out of a red Solo cup in honor of the country star, who died at age 62 in February.
Midway through his performance, a shirtless Malone — wearing only cutoff denim shorts — played acoustic guitar and delivered a heartfelt rendition of the 2005 hit, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot U.S. Country Songs chart following its release. He shared a video of the performance to TikTok.
Before launching into the song's final chorus, Malone, 28, picked up a red Solo cup of beer from the stage, poured a bit onto the floor in remembrance of Keith and took a sip for himself in a reference to the late musician's 2011 crossover hit, "Red Solo Cup."
Keith's death was announced by his family in a statement shared to his Instagram in February. "Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family," read the post. “He fought his fight with grace and courage."
"Please respect the privacy of his family at this time," the message concluded.
![Toby Keith An Intimate Evening with Toby Keith benefiting All-Stars Helping Kids](https://people.com/thmb/R2ySqzNC91dIKFCZYNJGPbRNafA=/4000x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/toby-keith-020624-11-961739affa3b413ea3c689d7727f3364.jpg)
Drew Altizer Photography/Shutterstock
The "Should've Been a Cowboy" singer was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the fall of 2021.
Malone first paid tribute to Keith just says after his death with an Instagram video of himself and country star ERNEST singing along to the 2002 hit "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."
"AMERICA 🇺🇸 at 2am #RipTobyKeith," wrote ERNEST, 32, alongside the clip at the time.
![Post Malone](https://people.com/thmb/rs_UK6jn1PNlZW4ZyPkbq0iKkWY=/4000x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/post-malone-superbowl-2024-021124-3-c46cfac1140948088989326719b88b61.jpg)
Jamie Squire/Getty
As of late, Malone has been inching into the world of country music. Brad Paisley recently revealed the pair recorded a collaboration, and the "Circles" musician performed in tribute to the late Joe Diffie at the 2023 CMA Awards alongside Morgan Wallen and HARDY.
In a June 2022 interview on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, Malone revealed he's even been toying with the idea of recording a country album.
"To be honest, there's nothing stopping me from taking a camera or setting up in my studio in Utah and just recording a country album [to put] on YouTube," he said at the time. "I'm allowed to do that, I'm a human being."