P.O.S.: Promise of Stardom

When a rapper decides to get a tattoo across his knuckles, you might expect it to say something tough, maybe even unprintable.

P.O.S. got the word "optimist."

It's a fascinating choice for a rapper famous for his intense, often furious diatribes against life's ills.

But he has had a lot to be sunny about during the past three years, including the continued success of his Doomtree crew and his ascension to star status on Minneapolis' powerhouse rap label Rhymesayers. We caught up with the 27-year-old before he left on a tour of 20 U.S. cities in 24 days. He returns Saturday to First Avenue.

P.O.S. (real name Stef Alexander) was at his south Minneapolis apartment, finishing a week of nonstop press interviews to promote his third album, "Never Better," which came out Feb. 3. He shot six music videos the week before.

Clearly, the Rhymesayers machine is behind him like never before.

"It's way more intense this time," P.O.S. said.

P.O.S. first drew attention for being a black kid raised on punk rock. On "Never Better" he continues to blur genres. "I feel like I'm getting really good at making things sound wrong, but in that fine-tuned wrong kind of way," he said.

For this interview, P.O.S. suggested a walk to his favorite coffee shop.

• • •

Q First off, it's been three years since your last album -- what took so long?

A Ah, man, a lot of things. To top it off, in Ohio last February, my van got broken into. The beats that I had ready for the next record got stolen. But it was kind of a blessing in disguise. I had to start from square one, but as soon as I restarted I was like, "Yes!"

After a couple blocks we reach the Urban Bean. Inside, he tells the barista he digs her new glasses. She's flattered but admits that they're fake. "These are real," he says, pointing to the geeky pair on his face.

Latté in hand, we walk into the main room, which is empty except for a middle-aged woman on a laptop. "Mind if we talk over here?" P.O.S. asks her, before picking the seat farthest away from the woman's table.

• • •

Q P.O.S. has always stood for different things, such as Pissed-Off Stef or Promise of Skill. What does it mean right now?

A Seriously, by this point, it's one of those things where if I could just be Stef Alexander as a rapper -- and have that mean something -- I'd do it.

A Doomtree has been my crew -- my best friends -- since I started rapping. So that's it, that's my fam. Rhymesayers has been an incredibly supportive label and family. There's not a balance that needs to be made at this point.

Q The new CD comes in some amazing packaging. [It's a mini art project -- the booklet is broken up into loose-leaf panels that fans can reshuffle to create collages.] Is it meant to entice file-sharing listeners to buy the album?

A Maybe. Fans appreciate having a reason to buy the actual record aside from the songs. They want the cool part that goes with it, and I actually had a budget to make something cool. I knew that I wanted [the listener] to be able to change the album cover; change the artwork.

• • •

P.O.S. pauses in mid-thought as a doughy rock song comes on over the coffee shop's speakers. "This is my favorite band," he says. "This is Spoon."

Q The album's first video, "Drumroll," has special effects and lots of explosions. That's every rapper's dream, right?

A I don't know if every rapper's dream is to be around tons of explosions while running and getting dirty and being outside in subzero temperatures. Maybe make it warmer -- some half-naked girls would help. There was definitely no half-naked girls and it was definitely 10-below.

Q When you write a song like "Out of Category," which deals with issues regarding race, is that cathartic for you?

A Throughout my entire life, people have always asked me what I'm all about. It was an important song to put on the record for me. But not necessarily because it felt like I was healing or anything. It was nothing like that.

Q Your last album opened with the words "[expletive] Bush." This time you say that phrase gave Bush "too much credit."

Q You don't mention Obama on the album, but there is a line -- nodding to a Nas lyric -- where you ask, "You think a president could represent you?"

A I don't want people to think I'm not an Obama supporter, because I am. But I do like the idea of thinking, and not just blindly loving things.

Q This album is called "Never Better." You've never sounded better, but that's not what the album is about, right?

A The refrain of the [title] song is "Every never is now." Whatever you swore would never happen is happening right now.

Q When your first album came out, you said your mom didn't really listen to your music -- it was too abrasive. What does she think now?

Q Does she think you've made it?

A Uh, no. She knows the kind of money I make, so she knows I have not made it. She does see that I am making a living doing what I love. She's very proud of me for that. And I'm proud of her for teaching me that.

• • •

After the interview, the barista flags him down. Her mom has stopped into the coffee shop, so she wants to introduce P.O.S. He stops to talk with her about his music. She gushes, "Well, isn't that nice." It's a fitting seal of approval for a man who has his own mother's name, Grace, tattooed on the back of his hand -- right next to the word "optimist."