A casual cigarette break at the Academy of Country Music Awards sparked an unlikely friendship between country star Cody Johnson and rapper Post Malone. During an interview with Lon Helton for Country Countdown USA, Johnson revealed that their meeting happened in a rather unorthodox location—mid-ceremony in the bathroom.
“He snuck into the bathroom to smoke a cigarette, and I walked in after him,” Johnson shared. Both Texas natives quickly hit it off, with Johnson calling Malone “a genuine guy.” Their conversation led to plans for a hunting trip in Texas this October, where Johnson will guide Malone on a hunt.
But Malone isn’t the only new hunting partner on Johnson’s list. He’s also set to go duck hunting with Lainey Wilson’s boyfriend, who fittingly goes by the name “Duck.” Johnson also expressed hopes of collaborating musically with Wilson, saying he’s keen to record a rendition of Loretta Lynn’s classic “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” with her. “I called Lainey, and she agreed,” Johnson said, though the duet has yet to happen.
Johnson’s interview caps off an impressive year for the “Dirt Cheap” singer. Aside from his ACM performance, he recently played to over 150,000 fans at Brazil’s largest rodeo—a show he describes as “pretty cool” after selling out the massive event.
On the music front, Johnson’s latest single, “Dirt Cheap,” off his Leather album, recently hit No. 1 on country radio, marking his third chart-topping track. The song features actor and musician Red Steagall, a longtime mentor and friend of Johnson. Recalling his pitch to Steagall, Johnson said, “I told him, ‘You have to play an old man who doesn’t know what’s going on.’ He said, ‘That shouldn’t be too hard.’”
