At some point, I had aspirations of creating a list chronicling the best releases of the past year. But when I thought of what albums should appear on such a list, one hip-hop record in particular kept imposing itself and making it’s presence known. That record is Never Better by P.O.S.

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In most modern rap records, the number of producers on the album will often mirror the number of tracks. That’s why it’s so refreshing to hear Never Better’s rock solid, consistent production. Over half the tracks are produced by P.O.S. himself, and the rest are all produced by his affiliates at Doomtree.

Here, we see real thought to dynamics and melody, while still maintaining hip-hop’s rhythmic core, with just a bit of P.O.S.’ punk rock background manifesting to make it interesting. All of the tracks stand as independent, beautiful productions, more focused on good songwriting than a catchy hook. P.O.S. rejects superficial sheen in favor of honest-to-god to beauty, and “Purexed” is the textbook definition of such a practice.

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We see the same level of thought and care put into Never Better’s lyrical content. Each line is expertly crafted, while still sounding natural and effortless upon delivery. On the surface, we see a catchy, precise flow encasing clever lyricism that doesn’t rely on puns (“Correct, the best shoes, the worst steps”). Dig deeper, we see larger thoughts and ideas at play (“In a world where the world ends at the end of your block, And them little whirlwinds spin friction ’round the clock”). All of this and more stated with an undeniable confidence and honesty.

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To me, this record, more than anything, represents how hip-hop should sound in it’s modern form. Free from gimmicks or trends, this is pure creative genius released in the form of rhythm and lyric. It doesn’t use slick production or studio tricks to sound futuristic, it instead opts for pure, unfiltered humanity. And in that, it is entirely modern.