P.O.S.

“P.O.S. Is Ruining My Life” by P.O.S., from Audition (Rhymesayers, 2006):

Gritty even by Rhymesayers standards (Atmosphere, Grayskul), P.O.S. shuffles to a moody murk cooked with a spicy side of rock. Into punk rock as a youth, the Minneapolis rapper discovered hip-hop at 14 through Company Flow and turned a new leaf. Punk and metal guitar make appearances on his two discs, and P.O.S. appeals to the board jockeys and the backpackers alike with lyrical ollies and slides, rhythmic grinds and 180s. But P.O.S.’ rawness goes back to the unsparing wordplay of tracks such as the rattling alcoholic-dad narrative “Duct Tape” and the evocative existential road meditation “P.O.S. Is Ruining My Life.”