| Never Better | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 3, 2009 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 55:38 | |||
| Label | Rhymesayers Entertainment | |||
| Producer |
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| P.O.S chronology | ||||
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Never Better is the third solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in the year 2009. It peaked at number 106 on the Billboard 200 chart. [1]
Over half of the record is produced by P.O.S himself, along with contributions from Doomtree producers Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger and MK Larada. It features guest verses from Doomtree compatriots Sims, Cecil Otter and Dessa, as well as Astronautalis.
The first single "Goodbye" was released in December, 2008. The second single "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" was released in January, 2009 on iTunes and Amazon.com. The track "Savion Glover" is a remix of a track previously released on Doomtree's False Hopes in 2007.
The album was released in a limited custom transparent digipak edition designed by Minneapolis designer Eric Carlson. It features 16 solid picture inserts with 6 plastic overlays, allowing the owner to create their own cover art combinations.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100 [2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | 91% [3] |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| The A.V. Club | B+ [5] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+ [6] |
| HipHopDX | [7] |
| NME | 6/10 [8] |
| The Phoenix | [9] |
| Pitchfork | 7/10 [10] |
| XLR8R | 7.5/10 [11] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [2]
Many reviewers on RapReviews.com placed this album in their top ten list for 2009, with it even claiming the number one spot in a few. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let It Rattle" | Lazerbeak | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" | P.O.S | 2:37 |
| 3. | "Savion Glover" | P.O.S | 2:19 |
| 4. | "Purexed" | Lazerbeak | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Graves (We Wrote the Book)" | Lazerbeak | 3:14 |
| 6. | "Goodbye" | Lazerbeak | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Get Smokes" (featuring Jessy Greene) | P.O.S | 2:38 |
| 8. | "Been Afraid" | Lazerbeak | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Low Light Low Life" (featuring Sims, Cecil Otter, and Dessa) | Paper Tiger | 3:14 |
| 10. | "The Basics (Alright)" | P.O.S | 3:23 |
| 11. | "Out of Category" | P.O.S | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Optimist (We Are Not for Them)" | P.O.S | 3:19 |
| 13. | "Terrorish" (featuring Jason Shevchuk) | P.O.S | 2:13 |
| 14. | "Never Better" (featuring Judah Nagler) | P.O.S | 4:03 |
| 15. | "The Brave and the Snake" | MK Larada | 3:53 |
| 16. | "Handmade/Handgun" (hidden track; featuring Astronautalis) | P.O.S | 5:58 |
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Slint" (featuring Maggie Morrison) | P.O.S | 2:35 |
Credits adapted from liner notes. [17]
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [1] | 106 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [18] | 67 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) [19] | 23 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [20] | 1 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [21] | 12 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [22] | 13 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [23] | 4 |
Stefon Leron Alexander, better known by his stage name P.O.S, is an American hip hop artist from Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as Doomtree, Building Better Bombs, Gayngs, Marijuana Deathsquads, Cenospecies, Four Fists, and Shredders.
Dessa Margret Wander, better known by her stage name Dessa, is an American rapper, singer, writer, and former record executive. She is a member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
John Samels, better known by his stage name Paper Tiger, is a hip hop producer and DJ from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collective has seven members: Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Sims, Mike Mictlan, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporating a wide range of musical influences into their work with lyrical complexity and wordplay, and their annual "Doomtree Blowout" events held in Minneapolis venues to showcase their group performances and the Twin Cities music scene.
Audition is the second solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2006. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
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Andrew Sims, better known mononymously as Sims, is an American rapper from Minneapolis. He has been a member of Doomtree and Shredders.
Aaron Mader, better known by his stage name Lazerbeak, is an American record producer, singer, and guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of Doomtree, The Plastic Constellations, Mixed Blood Majority, Shredders, and Night Stone.
Michael Thomas Marquez, better known by his stage name Mike Mictlan, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California, who is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
11:11 is the second studio album by American rapper Mac Lethal. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment on October 9, 2007.
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Kyle Smith, better known by his stage name Cecil Otter, is a rapper and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Castor, the Twin is the second studio album by Dessa, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released by Doomtree Records in 2011.
We Don't Even Live Here is the fourth solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment on October 23, 2012. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard 200 chart.
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Chime is the fourth studio album by Dessa, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released by Doomtree Records on February 23, 2018.
Shredders is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. It consists of rappers P.O.S and Sims and producers Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger. The four are part of the Doomtree collective. The group's debut studio album, Dangerous Jumps, peaked at number 43 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.
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