P.O.S. - Never Better

"P.O.S returns with Never Better, the follow up to 2006's critically acclaimed Audition. Written mostly in a moving car, P.O.S raps at full clip to ride rolling drums and revving distortion. There's an urgency that he keeps in careful check, and then unleashes for spring-loaded verses that represent his best work. Never Better enters a room like bombshell with a black eye, badass, noisy, and impossible to ignore. With an unlikely punk rock past and an ever growing loyal hip hop fan base, P.O.S proves he is a rapper with range, a real musician and an unstoppable performer."

Stef's third full-length album, Never Better, hits harder than anything else you're likely to hear this year. I'm a big fan of his first two albums and most of what I've heard from the Doomtree collective, but this album takes it all up a notch. To be honest, it took me a couple of listens to warm up to Never Better. It's more abrasive than most of the hip-hop I'm used to. But now that I'm hooked, I can't stop listening. There are so many layers to discover in this DIY hip-hop/punk genre blending album. Best listened to live, but a close second is while driving your car 50 MPH at night down Lyndale with your lights off. So, check out the album and be sure to check out the artwork. Amazing.