Click HERE to stream this album on Apple Music

This album was released on May 18th this year (2018). I’m going into this project completely blind; I’ve never heard a verse from MC Paul Barman before in my whole entire life. The only reason I’m checking this out is because it was released by Mello Music Group. I’m expecting it to be dope. Every release I’ve heard from Mello Music Group up to this point has been pretty solid. This is Paul Barman’s third album.

(((echo chamber))) featuring Open Mike Eagle produced by ?uestlove
YOUNGMAN speaks on (((race))) produced by Prince Paul
(((99.99999%))) produced by MF DOOM
(((believe that))) featuring Open Mike Eagle produced by MF DOOM
(((being poor))) produced by ?uestlove & James Poyser
(((art of war))) produced by ?uestlove
(((tourette’s))) produced by Memory Man
(((commandments))) produced by Memory Man
(((happy holidays))) produced by Mark Ronson
(((oh snap))) produced by ?uestlove
(((meat n’ bone))) produced by ?uestlove
(((leapfrog))) produced by Memory Man
(((hairy moth owl 2))) produced by Memory Man
UNDOING ALONENESS produced by Kenny Segal
(((age war))) produced by ?uestlove
((((((antennas)))))) featuring Masta Ace produced by Memory Man

The first song is dope af. The production kinda reminds me of the final beat from P.O.M.E. by Sylvan LaCue. The credits for this album are really impressive. I can tell from the first track that Paul is a really talented writer, and it’s cool to see him working with DOOM & ?uestlove. Open Mike did a great job with his feature. It’s a really great way to start the album. I really liked Paul’s lowkey delivery. It mixed with the jazzy production really well. I fucking loved the beat on track two from Prince Paul. He put his ASS in that beat.

“I’m not white, I’m Italian” harkens to back when
Swarthy was almost as unworthy as black men
Sorry, hon; things change in a blink, so
Your privilege exists now even you’d rather not think so

He rapped his ass off, and the beat from Prince Paul is incredible. 99.99999% is hilarious. By the time I reached this track, I was already completely sold on Paul Barman. His writing is ingenious. His unorthodox flow isn’t for everyone, but I love it. Believe That is amazing. The way Paul raps kinda reminds me of old-school Atmosphere. Him and Open Mike Eagle are honestly a match made in heaven. They’re two of the wittiest MCs in the industry. Being Poor is dope. I mean, the song “Being Poor” is dope. Being poor sucks. It’s a really short song, but it doesn’t sound like an incomplete idea. The production from ?uestlove on Art of War sounds like the background music to a cartoon scene of a marching band with an army of troops. I’m assuming Paul Barman has studied the Art of War by Sun Tzu. It sounds like he put most, if not all of his ideas into the song. It’s dope. Tourette’s is a really cool track. His flow just sounds so bizarre and experimental. The beat from Memory Man didn’t really impress me that much, but it served as a fitting sonic backdrop for Paul’s description of Tourette’s syndrome. It’s a good song. The way he was rapping from the perspective of God on Commandments was fucking awesome. I love how he added two extra commandments. The song is brilliant. Happy Holidays is my new favorite Christmas song. The production has the same melody as Sleigh Ride by Amy Grant. It ends with a sample of I Have a Little Dreidel. Oh Snap was a really great song too. I feel like Paul is one of the most clever rappers in the underground right now. The way he rhymed “Oh Snap” with the sound of his girl clapping was smart as fuck. Meat n’ Bone is the longest song on the album, and holy fuck this motherfucker rapped his ass off lmao. Goddamn. Almost every other song is under 3 minutes long. Leapfrog has some of the most impressive rhyme schemes on the album. I’ve never heard the first Hairy Moth Owl song, but it’s sequel is a really fun, cartoonish story. I saw the animated music video in my head as I listened to the song with my eyes closed. I love the way the production on UNDOING ALONENESS evolved. That’s the song that truly exhibited Paul’s grasp of the English language.

I never met a forward playmate I didn’t trust.

I never metaphor wordplay mate I didn’t trust. Dude is unbelievable. Kenny Segal murdered that beat too. It’s dope af. Age War is about a radical child who’s planning an uprising against adults. It kinda reminds me of the way I used to think. The manner in which the song ended was really cool. Antennas has one of the best beats on the album, and the feature from Masta Ace is fantastic. It’s a great closer.

This album is incredible. The beats are all very well produced, and MC Paul Barman’s unconventional flow is absolutely extraordinary. This album is not for everybody. The way he rhymes is really impressive, but his off-kilter flow will definitely rub certain listeners the wrong way. I love this shit though. It’s dope af.

Favorite Song: UNDOING ALONENESS
Least Favorite Song: Leapfrog

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