P.O.S. Interview: Waiting on a Kidney, Doomtree Rapper Plots New Projects and His Return to the Stage

As of today, P.O.S. fans raised nearly $36,000 to help him get a kidney transplant, surpassing the online charity drive's goal of $25,000 -- with 99 days to go in the campaign. While the outpouring of support is overwhelming the Minneapolis rapper -- real name Stefon Alexander -- the situation is still a bitter pill.

"It's all been incredibly heartwarming, but it's also like, this is probably my best record ever and I'm talking way more about my kidneys than I'm talking about my record. And I'm not able to tour," he tells Spinner. "I'll be back out there, I know, but it's like you want to get out there when it's time to do it."

That time should be now. His fourth solo album, We Don't Even Live Here, came out on Oct. 23, just five days after he made the shocking announcement that he was canceling his tour to undergo the surgery. To put it mildly, it's a frustrating turn in what's been an incredible year for Alexander and his fellow members in the hip-hop collective Doomtree. They released their stellar album No Kings in November 2011, toured the U.S. and Europe and prepped a DVD documentary, "Team the Best Team," that's out next month.

Now 31, P.O.S.'s kidney failure started when he was 13 or 14, likely due to trauma from a skateboarding accident. As the condition worsened, he battled increasing exhaustion, especially after shows -- one recent gig even landed him in the ER -- and his "high-deductible, low-service, spotty, shitty" insurance won't help with the lifelong medical costs. But thanks to friends and family, he has several donor matches lined up. Once the most suitable kidney is found, doctors will set a date for the procedure.

In the meantime, he's at home in the Twin Cities, working on new material and hoping the surgery comes through as soon as possible, with the plan to book more shows three to four months after he goes under the knife. Despite his chagrin, he's still upbeat and strong enough to stand in line for three hours to vote down Minnesota's same-sex marriage ban and voter ID amendment. The operation will be an ordeal, but he already plans on touring "as well or better than before" with his new organ.

"It's not in my nature or personality to sit and dwell on things that are coming up. What am I going to do, bitch about it?" he says, with a borderline-exasperated laugh. "I have [been writing] but I'm not super into being 'boo hoo' about my kidneys. I can't speak to what my next record is going to sound like. I do like a show with a lot of crowd response and a lot of noise and fun, so I don't expect that part to leave anytime soon, unless I decide to make the crazy slow, super-sad record. I don't know if I see that happening. I'm still not a fan of love songs."


A downtrodden vibe would be the opposite of We Don't Even Live Here, an 11-song LP featuring punk-heavy synths and beats, with contributions from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, German DJ Boys Noize and Doomtree cohorts Mike Mictlan, Sims, Lazerbeak and Cecil Otter. In sound, it's a party; in lyrics, it's a call to action.

"That's me trying to lighten up. [My last album] Never Better is incredibly dense lyrically and musically because I wanted people to work for it. The handful of people that really do, they'll say something, but of the few thousand people that bought that record, I don't hear people coming up to me talking about politics ever. When they do, they're very passionate and it's cool, but it's few and far between."

That said, the anarchist-leaning rapper hopes his opinions connect with listeners. "I want everyone to hear this and have some kind of crazy epiphany," the anarchist-leaning P.O.S. says. "I want people to understand how the economy works so they stop fucking voting for people based upon the lesser of two evils. Vote for what you actually believe in and figure out what the fuck that is." Of the election, he says, "We did it! Now back to continuing drone strikes and targeted hit lists of Americans. Our whole country is a battleground."

But he won't let that take his focus off the immediate future. Aside from the surgery, he's working a still-secret project -- "It's not rap and it probably has the most legendary drummer ever in it. That's all you get right now." -- and planning to perform at Doomtree's annual Blowout concerts in Minneapolis next month.

"In the tradition of the Blowout, it will be a long marathon-ass show. We'll play as much as we possibly can. Even if they have to wheel me out there."

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