Birth name Stefon Alexander Years active 2001–present Role Hip-hop artist | Name Stefon Alexander Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
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Also known as P.O.S.Emily BloodmobileLeRon Born August 18, 1981 (age 43) ( 1981-08-18 ) Occupation(s) Rapper, multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer Instruments Sampler, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums Music groups Doomtree (Since 2001), Marijuana Deathsquads (Since 2009), Gayngs Genres Alternative hip hop, Hardcore punk Albums We Don't Even Live Here, Never Better, Audition, Ipecac Neat, WDELH/MDS/RMX Profiles | ||
P o s optimist official video
Stefon Alexander (born August 18, 1981), better known by his stage name P.O.S, is a hip hop artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Contents
- P o s optimist official video
- Entering punk rock
- Entering rap
- Doomtree
- Side projects
- Personal life
- Influences
- Studio albums
- EPs
- Singles
- Remixes
- Cenospecies
- Building Better Bombs
- Marijuana Deathsquads
- Four Fists
- Guest appearances
- References
P.O.S. is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree and is currently signed to Doomtree Records. He also fronts a number of punk rock bands and is currently serving as guitarist and vocalist for Building Better Bombs, as well as vocalist and keyboardist for Marijuana Deathsquads.
Entering punk rock
Before entering hip hop, P.O.S was in a punk rock bands named Degenerates and Om in the late '90s. The band Om included ex-Doomtree member MK Larada. When first performing as a punk band, he also performed shared shows with a band including Lazerbeak, named The Plastic Constellations.
Entering rap
In 2001, P.O.S,, rapper Syst (short for System) and DJ Anomaly formed a short-lived hip-hop group Cenospecies. They released one album Indefinition in 2002 shortly before breaking up. The group won the award for "Best Band to Break Up in the Past 12 Months" in the year-end issue of City Pages.
Doomtree
P.O.S is a founding member of Doomtree, a seven-member collective of emcees, producers and DJs. His debut EP Falsehopes with Cecil Otter and first solo album Ipecac Neat were originally released exclusively through Doomtree. The album caught the attention of Rhymesayers Entertainment who, in 2004, signed him and re-released Ipecac Neat. Since that point, his albums have been jointly released by both Doomtree and Rhymesayers.
In January 2006, P.O.S's second album, Audition, was released, raising his profile nationally. The first half of 2006 seen P.O.S accidentally tour with Gym Class Heroes in support of the album. Since then, he has mainly focused on Doomtree projects. In 2007, the whole collective released a collaborative album False Hopes. In 2008, they released the first official album Doomtree. P.O.S often tours alongside fellow Doomtree members for his solo tours.
In February 2009, P.O.S released his third album, Never Better. The album came with a unique form of artwork. The liner notes, which include six transparent slides, can be rearranged to put the listener's own personal touch on the cover and backing art. The first single "Drumroll" was received well among college and alternative radio alike.
The fourth album, We Don't Even Live Here, was released in October 2012. "Get Down" features a guest appearance from Mike Mictlan of Doomtree and "Fuck Your Stuff" was produced by Lazerbeak of the collective. A version of the album remixed by Marijuana Deathsquads was released a year later.
In January 2017, P.O.S released his fifth album, Chill, dummy. The album is the first solo album of his to release on Doomtree Records since Ipecac Neat in 2004. It includes contributions from Lazerbeak, Busdriver, Open Mike Eagle and Astronautalis, among others.
Side projects
P.O.S is a vocalist and guitarist in the punk band Building Better Bombs. They released an album Freak Out Squares on Init Records in 2007.
He is currently a member of Minneapolis indie supergroup Gayngs. The band also features members of Bon Iver, The Rosebuds and Solid Gold. Their first album Relayted was released on Jagjaguwar in 2010.
Members of Marijuana Deathsquads played as P.O.S' backing band at Coachella in 2010, and he frequently joins them for live shows in Minneapolis. Marijuana Deathsquads consists of musicians from Gayngs, as well as Building Better Bombs. Their first album Crazy Master was released in 2011.
P.O.S is also a member of hardcore punk band Wharf Rats. Other members include Chris 2 of Anti-Flag on bass and Wade MacNeil of Gallows on guitar.
Another side project with frequent collaborator Astronautalis - Four Fists - has also been long in the works. Originally announced as planning to make a record in 2010 the project only slowly came together. I In 2013 Four Fists' 7" vinyl single was released, featuring the songs "MMMMMHMMMMM" and "Please Go." The band name refers to a short story they both appreciate by F. Scott Fitzgerald, from his first collection Flappers and Philosophers and both songs from the single are inspired by Fitzgerald.
As of March 2013, P.O.S hosts a weekly program on Minnesota's KCMP: 89.3 The Current. P.O.S. is Ruining The Current airs every Saturday night at 11:00PM. The program features an hour of P.O.S.'s influences and favorite music.
Personal life
On October 19, 2012, P.O.S had to cancel his first national tour due to health concerns. In a video posted to YouTube, P.O.S said failing kidneys are to blame for the cancellation: "Both of my kidneys are garbage. They've been going bad since I was a teenager. It's a really inopportune timing, but, now's the time. I need a new kidney." said Alexander. "I had some kind of unidentified trauma when I was 13 or 14, something that triggered scarring in my kidneys. It could've been a bad fall, skateboarding or whatever." On August 30, 2013, DJ Barb Abney announced on air on the Current that a kidney donor had been found for P.O.S. On March 7, 2016, P.O.S. commemorated the two year anniversary of his kidney transplant with the release of the single "Sleepdrone/Superposition".
Influences
P.O.S has cited Company Flow, Mos Def, and Aesop Rock as important influences.