Minneapolis’ P.O.S is currently riding the medium-sized wave formed by his latest release, “Chill, Dummy” — a fast-paced and energetic hip-hop record. He just started the second leg of his tour in support of the album and will be making a stop at WOW Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
“Chill, Dummy” is his first release exclusively on the label he co-founded Doomtree Records; since 2004. Since then, P.O.S released his records both through Doomtree Records and underground hip-hop label, Rhymesayers, but “Chill, Dummy” is strictly a Doomtree project. For P.O.S, the homecoming is a reason for joy.
“It was pretty awesome,” P.O.S told the Emerald in a phone interview. “The fact that I was able to complete my contract and have a really great time with [Rhymesayers] and then be able to go to my label which had, by that point, gotten themselves together, had some legs — it felt really cool.”
The record pulls influence from punk rock — a genre in which P.O.S. is already sufficiently involved in as he played in punk bands before ever jotting down any bars. The rapper seems most comfortable backed by distorted guitar riffs and dynamic drums, almost half of which he produces himself.
The lively production is paired with casual thematics. Instead of delving into the more serious topics of today, P.O.S spends more time talking about “gutting fuckers” and “fucking gutters.” Even the album’s title is a nod to this non-laborious feel.
“I was mostly just trying to think of something that would take the pressure off of me to have a really awesome record,” he said.
P.O.S produced nearly half of the tracks on his 2017 record “Chill, Dummy.”
His rhymes aren’t in any way mindless, though. His raps on the record are meticulous and smart. The verses are constructed in a way that highlights P.O.S’s ability to play with interesting cadences, rhyme schemes and assonances. P.O.S has always been known as a “smart” rapper, and this album is no exception.
His upcoming show may lack a fascinating light fixture or a creative set design, but it’ll make up for it with some high-quality hip-hop and a fun, energetic vibe.
“It’s not so much about the spectacle as it is about the songs and trying to make a vibe and make a zone people can feel comfortable and get loose for the night in,” P.O.S said.
Concertgoers can expect to hear most of the songs from “Chill, Dummy” as well as previous works. This will be P.O.S’s sixth time playing in Eugene, and he says that he simply expects to have a good time with the crowd and to make it the best Tuesday night as possible.
WOW Hall is located at 291 W 8th Ave. and tickets for the concert can be found at www.ticketweb.com. P.O.S has a new record with his crew ‘Shredders’ (comprised of him, Sims, Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger; all from Doomtree) coming out Nov. 3 with an available pre-order and a few songs already released.
Follow Jordan on Twitter @montero_jor.
