White-boy rap has gotten a bad name throughout the years.  All that's it's really had to show for it was party jammer turned wannabe punk rocker Vanilla Ice, alternative rock/rapper Everlast, the multi-talented (and many would argue the best of the bunch) Beastie Boys, super-violent wackster Eminem (and his.. uhh... "friends" in the Insane Clown Posse), and a bunch of would-be clones.  Until now...

   An upcoming Jewish white MC... it doesn't get much stranger than that (actually the Beasties were originally Jewish too... coincidence?); and yet, Barman escapes sucking by establishing himself not as a serious rapper.  Barman is so likable because he raps about the important stuff in life, in this case, sex.  What comes out is not the "pimpin' nigga" style rap, but rather the kind of rap you'd expect to come from a white guy, a geeky "why am I the only kid in school who isn't getting any?" type rap, and this is what makes him so lovable and gives his songs humor.

   Let's take some sample lyrics, shall we? My personal favorite, "Salvation Barmy", with a simple-without-being-bland beat you expect 4th-graders to be jumping rope to, has a "chorus" of "she has a boyfriend fatty / he comes from Cincinatti / with 48 toes and a pickle on his nose / and this is the way the story goes", and, with Barman rapping about how he tries so hard to get with a woman working in the local thrift store, comes up with such lines as "we started to slow dance / I said no time for romance / if I have to wear condoms 'cuz they feel like snow pants" and "a man's job's a hand job, your job's a blow job".  Even though the third track "School Anthem" detracts from the general theme, it still manages to keep in a few clever lines.

   The great unknown (I heard of him before, but ask 10 "average white suburban hip-hop consumers" and I bet none else have...) Prince Paul does an excellent job combining beats and samples to keep up Barman's geeky image.  From the dramatic (kidding!) beats on "An Introduction" to the sampling of some woman saying "what is the matter with that man?" at the end of "I'm Fricking Awesome", Barman wouldn't be as cool a geek were it not for his super-producer buddy Prince Paul, who can even get his name right! Imagine Eminem and Dr. Dre, only way less violent, more fun, and worth repeated listens.

   This album is not for the hardcore gangsta rap fan.  This is for those who still believe rap can be fun, for those who believe in self-parody.  It's the type of stuff you want to listen to when you're down, because its just so silly you can't help but smile listening to it.  I feel pretty confident in saying there is no other rapper who can use The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basel E. Frankweiler on one of his rhymes... geek style forever baby!  A 6-song EP isn't enough! Give us more! More! More!