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P.O.S announces new album ‘Chill, dummy’

P.O.S performs at The F—ing Best Show Ever on June 13, 2015. Photo by Emmet Kowler for MPR.
P.O.S performs at The F—ing Best Show Ever on June 13, 2015. Photo by Emmet Kowler for MPR.

by Cecilia Johnson

December 13, 2016

"I been in my own lane so long," P.O.S proclaims in his new single, lingering on the vowel in the last word. It sounds like he's savoring the idea, reflecting on his roughly 15 years of rap path-shaping. We've seen other sides of P.O.S — scornful, silly, scared — but given today's big news, the triumph in "Lanes" makes all the sense in the world. The rapper's fifth solo full-length, Chill, dummy, is set for release on Jan. 27, 2017.

Featuring guests such as Kathleen Hanna, Justin Vernon, Open Mike Eagle, and Lady Midnight, Chill, dummy spans twelve tracks, including "Lanes" and previously released singles "sleepdrone/superposition" and "Wearing A Bear." Unlike P.O.S's last three albums, it will come out on Doomtree Records, not Rhymesayers Entertainment; it joins Sims's More Than Ever, Paper Tiger's In Other Words (parts one and two), and Cecil Otter's Dear Echo in recent Doomtree releases. Following the digital/CD release on Jan. 27, the vinyl will drop March 17 for your St. Patrick's Day gifting needs.

P.O.S beat kidney disease between last album We Don't Even Live Here (2012) and today, and he hasn't exactly been quiet since returning to full health. This year, he's released singles "sleepdrone/superposition," "Wave (feat. Moncelas Boston and Sophia Eris)," "Wearing A Bear," and "Woof." He's also had a couple of in-depth conversations with Local Show host Andrea Swensson, including an episode of The O.K. Show that brought them both to tears.

More on "Lanes": P.O.S's live chops seem to inform the song's midpoint explosion, a fake-out fade out that bursts back into flame. The whole song shows off his taste in percussion and production chops. "Bumper" and "Purexed" fans should rejoice.

P.O.S heads out on a U.S. tour in a few short weeks — he'll start in Chicago the day after the album drop — but he hasn't announced any hometown dates. Look out for a show this spring?

Chill, dummy cover art:

poschill
P.O.S's "Chill, dummy" artwork

Tracklist:

1. Born A Snake

2. Wearing A Bear

3. Bully

4. Faded

5. Pieces/Ruins

6. Get Ate

7. Roddy Piper

8. Thieves/Kings

9. Infinite Scroll

10. Lanes

11. Gravedigger

12. sleepdrone/superposition

Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.