P.O.S. - Never Better

[Drew Beringer]

P.O.S. - Never Better
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Record Label: Rhymesayers/Doomtree

Growing up in Minneapolis, Stefon Alexander latched onto bands like At The Drive-In, Refused, Kid Dynamite, and the hardcore scene. Combine this with his affinity for basement shows and after-class rhymes, and it’s no surprise to see how Pissed Off Stef, or P.O.S. for short, came to be. One of the founding members of Doomtree, P.O.S. has released two very loud and vocal albums on Rhymesayers, and his third album, Never Better, is no exception. Chunky bass lines, intense drumming, and bombastic beats pace the fifteen-track voyage into the mind of P.O.S. His rage, wit, and social criticisms flow freely throughout, and P.O.S. has, dare I say, never sounded better.

This isn’t an instantly accessible hip-hop album. It won’t be appearing on the radio any time soon. It’s raw and passionate, bleeding with emotion. P.O.S. doesn’t pull any punches. This is real talk throughout, and P.O.S. isn’t going to bullshit you. Call it skateboard rap, call it punk-inspired, call it whatever you like. The bottom line is this music will move you. Never Better starts with “Let It Rattle,” as minimal music backs P.O.S. freestyle rant. It’s a dark, ominous track that only rises in temperature. “Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)” comes across as the anthem of the album as it channels the rage of Nine Inch Nails as P.O.S. whales on the beat. There is no mercy. “Savion Glover” incorporates some scratches and a bumping bass line along with some clever wordplay. “Purexed” is going to make a run as one of the best songs of the young year, as it slowly builds into a beautiful self-reflection track. You will feel shivers going down your spine when the chorus kicks in.

First single “Goodbye” has a laid back yet serious tone to it, while “Low Light Low Life” is a booming track with a rather catchy chorus. “The Basics (Alright)” is a hyperactive track featuring industrial and electronic drumming as the beat needles and loops throughout. Never Better slows down a little with “Optimist (We Are Not For Them),” as the focused flow of P.O.S. carries it. The title track is a poignant track, as the ferocity of P.O.S. words only grow stronger. And closer “The Brave and The Snake” leaves a lasting imprint on Never Better. With an intro similar to a funeral procession, it lulls you in until P.O.S. verbal artillery hits you in the chest. Transitioning from calm to sporadic, the duality of the track sums up the album quite well.

In a day and age where a lot of hip-hop is about who you know and what you have, P.O.S. takes the opposite approach, pointing out the absurdities of pop culture today. His lyrics have a message, but he gets it across without shoving it down your throat; the man just tells it how it is. It isn’t premature at all to call Never Better one of the best hip-hop albums of 2009; the diversity and complexity of the album will keep it spinning in stereos throughout the course of the year.

Track Listing:
1. Let It Rattle
2. Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)
3. Savion Glover
4. Purexed
5. Grave (We Wrote The Book)
6. Goodbye
7. Get Smokes
8. Been Afraid
9. Low Light Low Life
10. The Basics (Alright)
11. Out of Category
12. Optimist (We Are Not For Them)
13. Terrorish
14. Never Better
15. The Brave and The Snake

Offical Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/pos); Offical AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?l=12982)

[WhoSaidThat?]

Nice review, Drew. I'd like to see this blow up.

[hockeyguitar99]

Can't wait to hear this, great review Drew.

[Heart-A-Tact]

I really want to hear this.

[kemichels]

I'm seein him a week after this drops. I'm so excited.

[gonfreaks]

I can't wait to get my hands on this, great review.

[c_rob2700]

I've been re-listening to Audition a lot lately, I'm so excited for this.

EDIT: Great review btw

[sell the sunris]

Can't. Wait.

[jimjam32]

cant wait for this to drop.

[demonryu]

So Drew, do you like it better than Audition?

[tommy's ghost]

I am very interested in hearing this.

[wrppdarndyrfngr]

Can't wait to hear this, great review Drew.

I really want to hear this.

I can't wait to get my hands on this, great review.

I've been re-listening to Audition a lot lately, I'm so excited for this.

EDIT: Great review btw

Can't. Wait.

cant wait for this to drop.

all of these

[mikehranica]

can't wait to hear it!

[b4u4get]

I'm not that into hip-hop music, but I'm looking forward for this album. Also great review, that makes me want it even more.

[lenard27]

Can't wait for this. Comes out on my B-day.

Nice review, too.

[WakingTheMisery]

Its probably good but I doubt it is that good.

[Dr. Acula]

Very good review Drew. Cant wait to hear this.

[TuskandTemper]

yeahHHHH!!!! POS!!! Drew mad props for reviewing this... I think I speak for all fans of GOOD MUSIC that it's nice to read about POS instead of Pete Wentz every fucking day.

keep up the good reviews.
"look ma no protection now i gotta baby boy by the name of jake..."
"then she ran like watercolors"
"but he left my life just a little too soon didn't see me catch the DOOMTREE fame."

[prefix-core]

Great review. Now I'm doubly stoked to hear this! And 15 songs? I'll take it!

[saysmydoctor]

aoty

[live.]

Everybody wanna be the next
Everybody wanna be in step
Everybody wanna fuck
Everybody want the consequence of playin' the fence
Everybody's got shit luck
Everybody wanna move to they own beat
Everybody wanna make a dent
Every girl is lookin' for the next best thing
Every boy's in love with his girl's best friend
Everybody hates me
Everybody wanna fight
We can't stand to wake up in the sun
But can't sleep in the moonlight
I'm right there wit ya
I'm sicker than my own skin
I got the clothes and the jaded grin
I'm at the bar or the coffee shop
But I don't like drinkin'
And I fuckin' hate coffee shops
I'm off the stop and roll
It's best spin like a twist-a-whirl
This ain't amusment, I'm a loser
It was bullshit, It was bullshit, uh
Got two cents
But everybody seems to have the same chain but can't break my five-oh
Two cents, (yeah right) but can't spend nothing if I'm holdin' the carp it's like

If he can top this song, I'll be impressed.

[Jason Tate]

One of my favorite releases of the year so far.

[robat19]

can't wait.

[dat scene kid]

Audition is still one of my favorite hip-hop albums, I can't wait to hear this.

[acfrue]

great review, i cant wait to give this album a good listening to.

[acfrue]

Everybody wanna be the next
Everybody wanna be in step
Everybody wanna fuck
Everybody want the consequence of playin' the fence
Everybody's got shit luck
Everybody wanna move to they own beat
Everybody wanna make a dent
Every girl is lookin' for the next best thing
Every boy's in love with his girl's best friend
Everybody hates me
Everybody wanna fight
We can't stand to wake up in the sun
But can't sleep in the moonlight
I'm right there wit ya
I'm sicker than my own skin
I got the clothes and the jaded grin
I'm at the bar or the coffee shop
But I don't like drinkin'
And I fuckin' hate coffee shops
I'm off the stop and roll
It's best spin like a twist-a-whirl
This ain't amusment, I'm a loser
It was bullshit, It was bullshit, uh
Got two cents
But everybody seems to have the same chain but can't break my five-oh
Two cents, (yeah right) but can't spend nothing if I'm holdin' the carp it's like

If he can top this song, I'll be impressed.

thats my favorite hip hop/rap song ever, its amazing.

[Wolf I Am!]

Just pre-ordered yesterday and seeing him at First Ave on February 28!!!

[kylestarr]

I saw him with minus the bear and the velvet teen a while ago in LA and he did not disappoint

[manican sex]

I used to jam "Ipecac Neat" and "God Loves Ugly" every day on the bus in 11th grade. I remember one time my mom grounded me and I wrote down all the lyrics to "Hunger Pains Three" in my room because they didn't have them online. In a time when I was listening to bands like Daughters, Norma Jean, FBTMOF,etc this guy game me something different because I hated mainstream rap at that time.

This dude has meant a lot to me for awhile. He's what music is about. Minneapolis rap forever.

Cant wait for this.

[popdisaster00]

awesome

[Holly HoX!]

doomtree time to let it be known/ from the bottom of the bottle to the top of the throne.

[OldJersey]

Ive never listened to em, RIYL anyone?

[SandManTEND13]

Great review, cant wait to get my hands on this sucker!! I love P.O.S. this album is going to be really good I feel like and it looks like it is

[promoking]

pre-order now, lot's a bonuses...
www.fifthelementonline.com (http://www.fifthelementonline.com)

IN STORES 2.3.09
www.rhymesayers.com (http://www.rhymesayers.com)

[ReadyForAction]

So is this the album that I should start with? This review intrigues me

[Until The Bombs]

ATTN DREW:

How does this compare to his previous releases?

[Drew Beringer]

ATTN DREW:

How does this compare to his previous releases?
ATTN UNTIL THE BOMBS:

It's not a departure from his other stuff, still the same vibe and everything.

[Jason Tate]

ATTN DREW:

How does this compare to his previous releases?
I like it more after a month with it than Audition. I think it has a better cohesive aspect -- everything seems to fit right in the sequence.

[Jason Tate]

So is this the album that I should start with? This review intrigues me
I would say yes -- it's very accessible.

[Until The Bombs]

ATTN UNTIL THE BOMBS:

It's not a departure from his other stuff, still the same vibe and everything.

Any guitar riffs like in P.O.S. is Ruining My Life?

I like it more after a month with it than Audition. I think it has a better cohesive aspect -- everything seems to fit right in the sequence.

Good to hear. I was 50/50 on Audition, but really liked the songs that I did like.

[Drew Beringer]

Any guitar riffs like in P.O.S. is Ruining My Life?



Good to hear. I was 50/50 on Audition, but really liked the songs that I did like.
There are guitar riffs, a lot of them are subtle and dark.

[WhoSaidThat?]

all of these
Oh, but not mine? Gee, thanks.

jay-kay.

[Until The Bombs]

There are guitar riffs, a lot of them are subtle and dark.

Cool. Thanks.

[Cossar]

preorded the album. pretty stoked.

[katieissweet]

I can't wait to hear this.

[live.]

thats my favorite hip hop/rap song ever, its amazing.
you again! i fucking love your avatar!

[acfrue]

you again! i fucking love your avatar!

THANK YOU!!! :bow:

[Burn That Shit]

Sweet review, made me excited for this.

[StartAngry&Mad]

After getting into P.O.S over a year ago, I've recently dove further into the Doomtree collective and love everything I've heard; I'm really stoked for the new album

[tait]

this is going to be soo good

[wrppdarndyrfngr]

Oh, but not mine? Gee, thanks.

jay-kay.
haha sorry!

I back whatever you said.

[ddb43]

Great review. Looking forward to hearing this.

[dirty frank]

never heard of this. but after reading the review i'll be looking out for it

[slimfenix182]

I hate rap. and this guy is one of my favorite artists of any genre. I think that's saying something. cannot wait for this.

[drivethruaz]

pretty fuckin solid. cant wait

[LiquorAndDick]

Is this going to be the Lydia of 2009?

[mht]

the Plastic Constellations >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[robat19]

I just pre-ordered, the digipak seems sweet.

[Drew Beringer]

Is this going to be the Lydia of 2009?
Only two staff members (Jason and I) have expressed excitement and good comments about this release. The majority of staff was obsessed with Lydia. I don't see any correlation.

[ander other]

this new album is an incredible step forward and my favorite of the three. and i REALLY like ipecac neat.

but besides that,
listen to doomtree.
the plastic constellations will make you famous.
rhymesayers entertainment for the win.

[demonryu]

I got this in the mail yesterday and oh my god it's incredible. I loved Audition but this new one is like 10 times better.

[airik625]

Love the review, I agree with just about everything.

One of my favorite albums so far this year.

[secthagoals626]

this is a great album
its refreshing to see such passion in hip-hop when so much of it is pure shit

[robat19]

Posting here because Drew said to.

[Pawan1993]

Fucking brilliant.
I agree, hip hop is full of shit and everything out there is usually just made to attract airplay.
P.O.S. and a couple of other artists (Kanye West for example) are definitely the few artists that actually use hip hop to express and not just to sell out.

EDIT: Sorry what I meant was that most hip hop is full of shit and some rock is as well (Jonas Brothers anyone?).
But there are artists like P.O.S. and Brand New that actually can express.

[Petzl]

Being completely honest, I really hate hip hop. There was a time in my life when I listened to a lot of main stream MTV garbage, because that's all me and my friends knew back in the 6th/7th grade, so I listened to a lot of garbage rap music and grew to hate it. But I saw that this album got a lot of praise here and I also recognized the name from Minus The Bear's remix album so I checked it out. This album is ridiculously good, thanks a lot ap.net!

[Nick Le]

I'm not into hip hop at all. But I picked this up today. It's amazing. So thanks P.O.S. and ap.net. The digipak is sweet too!

[c_rob2700]

Album is fucking great. I've been spinning this constantly since I picked it up yesterday.

[prefix-core]

I really hope that all of the people clamoring for this record while simultaneously saying that they "aren't big hip-hop fans" take it a step further and check out a few more underground MCs. There's alot of creativity bubbling up from the hip-hop underground. Give it a shot, you might be surprised at what you find...

That being said? I got my physcial copy of "Never Better" in the mail yesterday and was not let-down. The packaging is ridiculously well-done, complete with full lyrics. Made listening to the album even better. Ordering direct from Rhymesayers got me a P.O.S. mix tape with a bunch of P.O.S. created remixes, random cuts by other artists (William Elliot Whitmore, Plastic Constellations), and a few tracks with P.O.S. guest spots. Well worth the money!

Hip-hop album of the year? Perhaps. Heavy contender, if nothing else.

[LPMagic]

Incredible.

[kemichels]

I really wish the interview with him was posttttttted

[cscwell107]

Wait. Wasn't the score 89%? What happened?

[c_rob2700]

He probably upped the score, it's definetly a 92% album IMO

[cscwell107]

He probably upped the score, it's definetly a 92% album IMO

I agree. It is a great album. I was just confused when the score changed.

[yanxkid79]

really liking this album

[bobby runs]

Just heard drumroll and saw that this was on sale at best buy so I'll be buying this. Woo HOO!!

[Pawan1993]

It's a brilliant album no doubt. And I just gotta hand it to the guys at AP.net. They certainly know how to lay the truth flat or get a person into a specific band or album. Good review Drew and good stuff from the staff.
You all got me into hip-hop to tell you the truth because all I thought hip hop was, was a bunch of idiots telling everyone that they got shot here, they got shot there, they banged that person there and all that bullshit. But seriously its the reviews that you guys have written that got me into stuff like Kanye West, P.O.S. and Clipse.

Brilliant stuff guys and keep it up!

[circatbs]

I've gotta listen to this now.

[batmannj]

AOTY so far for me.

[slimfenix182]

How can you say you "hate rap", then?
"rap" to me nowadays is writing about nothing but money, bling and cars, choruses that just repeat over and over, and being more concerned with how many people's phones ring to their song. therefore I can easily say I hate rap. P.O.S. is not a rapper to me.....he is simply a musician that makes music that anyone could listen to......and thankfully didn't do anything to appeal to the mainstream on this album.

[Cheesus]

i was at my local music store buying this album and the cashier said, "this is some AWESOME HIP-HOP right here.", the dude next to me holding E-40 and 50cent albums chimed in with, "WHAT?? what is it?". The cashier said, "its P.O.S." the guy replied with, "Whatchu talkin' about." as if to say, "what the fuck is that shit?". it just gave me a nice glimpse in to how brainwashed these average rap/hip hop fans are. its sad.

[TachyonEvan]

Great album.

[kemichels]

so yeah...that P.O.S interview was supposed to be up like a month and a half ago...

:(.

[xapplexpiex]

"rap" to me nowadays is writing about nothing but money, bling and cars, choruses that just repeat over and over, and being more concerned with how many people's phones ring to their song. therefore I can easily say I hate rap. P.O.S. is not a rapper to me.....he is simply a musician that makes music that anyone could listen to......and thankfully didn't do anything to appeal to the mainstream on this album.
This.

I've been looking for other artists like him, but I'm not having much luck.

[The.Watcher]

Hey I know this post is mad old, but I wanted to give some insight.
First of all: to every1 saying they don't like/hate rap because all they play on the radio is mainstream bullshit; y'all got your facts in a twist.
That would be like me saying that I hate rock music cos I heard Avril Lavigne once and my ears started to bleed.
The shite they play on the radio IS NOT rap, same as most of the "rock" they play is not rock. It is simply pop music with a "urban" or "rock" aftertaste. That is not hip hop or rap. Music is about evolution of the artist and his/her unique personal take on the genre. It (the genre) is not defined by any set rules or boundaries, Never Better has proven that. The so called rap MTV, BET and radio tries to force down our throats is watered-down, impersonal, calculated formula-based trash, like Transformers: RotF is to movies. There are literally thousands of extremely talented hip hop musicians in the underground scene, you just have to know where to look. Undergroundhiphop.com is a brilliant site for such materials, they feature albums, clothing, vinyls etc... You can also try Amazon and e-Bay, or simply head on over to the artist website.
While you won't find anyone else that sounds like P.O.S (again, in the underground scene, every artist is completely different - that's what makes the experience so unique), you will find many other talented individuals who will alter your perception of what constitutes as "rap" music. If you are interested in furthering your boundaries of musical taste, and you enjoy P.O.S, check out my profile, I registered and wrote down some of (in my opinion) the best underground artists that I know of. It is a great place to start expanding your taste. Cheers. PS - Great review, by the way.

[ander_other]

the difference between stef's raps (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2odDU_AxwA)
and say, rich boy's raps (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juT9i9LyU6M)
is this: style.

both are stylized.
both are unique.

yet neither can be disqualified from the all-inclusive (yes, even "rap" inclusive) scope of sound which's contents can be collectively called "hip-hop music," just because you dislike one or the other because of some inflated ethical treatise.

whoever said P.O.S is not a rapper: false.

[The.Watcher]

Excuse me Ander, but Rich Boy = unique?
Har har. Sorry dude, but your comment is void...:-d

[MBIIdollaBill]

POS is playing at my school later this month, I figured I would brush up on his discography to get prepared. I've only heard a couple of his songs so far but this makes me want to check out more.