Weekly Release Spotlight: P.O.S.
Posted on 2/23/2009
P.O.S.
Never Better
[Rhymesayers]
Punk rocker P.O.S. (also known as Stefan Alexander) is equally at home with a punk band or rapping over rock infused beats. He got his musical start playing in hardcore bands around the Twin Cities. In high school he started rapping with friends and since that time he's worked to combine these two musical forces. Just one of the many interesting and exciting rap artists that the Twin Cities have spawned in the past decade, P.O.S. is unique in his combination of punk rock and rap. This isn't the rap rock of the 1990's, thankfully. These raw beats and punk bass lines form the foundation for P.O.S.'s signature wit, wisdom and delivery. His latest disc, "Never Better," came out on Minneapolis-based Rhymesayers Entertainment and is destined to propel his career to the next level, though you get the feeling that P.O.S. would be just as happy rocking out in a sweaty, smoke-filled Minneapolis basement.
After the success of his sophomore release, 2006's "Audition," featuring appearances from Craig Finn, Greg Attonito (of the Bouncing Souls) and Atmosphere, P.O.S. focused his efforts on Doomtree, touring the country with different incarnations of the collective and bringing his rhymes to the masses. Doomtree released "falsehopes" in 2007 and their first proper full-length last summer. Don't forget the other half of his musical persona, writing, recording and playing with punk band Building Better Bombs. In other words, P.O.S. has stayed busy. The eclectic background and constantly-working ethic that's defined the last couple of years has paid off. P.O.S. produced over half of the beats for this record (which had to be re-worked after theft on the road) and has definitely hit his stride.
Just the right combination of samples, raw drum loops, distorted guitars and rapid fire rhymes define his sound. The urgency these sounds exude is the perfect pairing for P.O.S.'s lyrics. Not the typical commercial rap fare, P.O.S. oozes heart and soul. You can tell he cares about what he's talking about. In the opening moments of the album, P.O.S. apologizes for taking so long on this record. But the wait is well worth it. The danceable beats of "Savion Glover" and "Goodbye" are juxtaposed with lightening quick lyrics and shout-outs. The wild, hardcore-infused "Drumroll" clips along steadily and shows just how talented Alexander has become.
Stream: P.O.S. - Drumroll
Written by Andrew Zoellner, Radio K volunteer.