P.O.S.

• Genre: The Midwestern Basement

About

It makes sense that P.O.S. hail from the snow-capped confines of Minnesota. The emcee/producer's sound is cold and carnivorous, seemingly chock-full of the sort of sonic nooks and lyrical crannies that sprung from too much time spent in confined spaces with the same squad. But to say that P.O.S. is unique isn't to say that he's inaccessible. P.O.S.'s blend of punk-rock ethos and hip-hop swagger has earned him fans in both genres; you'll now find his music in the hip-hop section, but he began his music career as a drummer for various punk bands in the Minneapolis scene. In fact, as a teenager, P.O.S. questioned whether or not hip-hop was a vital art form. Those questions were laid to rest when he heard Company Flow's seminal Funcrusher Plus. That record, as well as various underground mix tapes he was picking up, demonstrated that the genre was much more pliable than P.O.S. originally thought, and would allow the musician to express himself in new and exciting ways. Along with rapper Syst and DJ Basis, P.O.S. founded the group Cenospecies in 2001. The crew was short-lived but its album, Indefinition, introduced the rapper/producer to local audiences. From there, P.O.S. teamed up with childhood friend Kai and formed the group Doomtree. As they begin attracting the attention of like-minded artists, the group became the crew that currently includes Mictlan, Sims, Dessa, Cecil Otter, Marshall Larada, Bobby Gorgeous, Emily Bloodmobile, Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger, Turbo Nemesis and Tom Servo. In 2004, P.O.S. released his first full-length, Ipecac Neat. Though it was a self-released album, the buzz surrounding it was significant enough to land P.O.S. a distribution deal through local indie stalwarts Rhymesayers, who are headed by indie heartthrob Slug (also of Atmosphere). With the right label deal and a sound that crossed genre boundaries, P.O.S. was suddenly the center of national attention. His 2006 follow-up, Audition, didn't disappoint. Full of odd instrumentation and agro-flavored sonic abrasion, the album was exceedingly immediate -- as if it were ticker-tape from the sub-conscious of a new -- and until now -- voiceless generation.

- Sam Chennault