P.O.S. can't easily be placed in a genre-his music ranges from hip-hop to punk to straight-out rock and roll. Despite the lack of classification, his albums have sold incredibly well since he was discovered by indie hip-hop mainstay Slug (of Atmosphere). P.O.S. is currently embarking on a tour to support his most recent album, Audition (Rhymesayers Entertainment, 1/31). Music Editor Matt Dearborn talked with P.O.S. about punk, the mainstream and being nationally distributed in preparation for the self-proclaimed hip-hop MC's show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro Feb. 8.
recess: What does P.O.S. stand for?
P.O.S: Well, it depends on my mood. Sometimes it stands for "Promise of Skill." Other times it's "Product of Society." Sometimes it's "Piece of S-." People used to call me P.O.S. as in "Product of Society," and I hated it. But it stuck, and here I am today.
You used to be in a punk band. Why did you switch to hip-hop?
I never switched. I'm still in a punk band. People have just found my hip-hop music first. I still listen to rap and hardcore punk and love both equally. They're similar in more ways than you'd think.
Your hip-hop music incorporates a lot of punk and rock influences. How would you characterize those songs?
In the end, it's aggressive hip-hop. I don't see myself as a punk rapper or as a rock rapper. I'm a hip-hop MC. I'm an MC's MC. I make my music primarily for other rappers to appreciate, but if you're not a rapper and you still like it, then I'm excited. But I'm not in it to be different; I want my records to be sold in the hip-hop section of music stores.
How did you know Slug?
We met because we had a friend in common, and we just hit it off one day when we were hanging out with that friend. The rest is history.
Did you change your musical approach when recording Audition?
This is the only time I've ever had a nationally distributed record, and I knew that it was going to be distributed by Rhymesayers when I was going into the studio. So I wanted to push my own limits and experiment with my own abilities. I've had a lot of complaints that the record is too scatterbrained and all over the place, and that it's too abrasive. But to me, it makes sense as a record. It's not a bunch of songs put together. It's an experience as a whole. And that's what I wanted.
Would you ever go mainstream?
I don't think that there's room in my life for it. I'm in a punk band. I'm a part of Doomtree [Records]. So even if the opportunity arose, I don't think I'd take it unless it was a really good opportunity. If I were to go mainstream, I'd need complete artistic control over my work, and I'd want to take chances and risks musically. So I doubt that anything like that would ever come up. I grew up listening to independent music, and so it would have to be an amazing situation for me to go mainstream.
What do you see in your future?
I'm just enjoying what I'm doing right now. I don't know if I'll have the chance to make another nationally distributed record, or even another record at all. I have a lot of cool ideas which I'm going to pursue after the tour, but I'm just taking each day when it comes.
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