Bred in the suburbs of New Jersey and educated at Brown University, the frizzy-haired, geeky Jewish rapper MC Paul Barman was an unlikely candidate for underground credibility. But in the late 1990s, some self-released work caught the attention of legendary DJ/producer Prince Paul, who produced Barman’s verbose 2000 debut EP, IT’S VERY STIMULATING. A number of EPs (including a 12-inch for venerable indie label Matador), singles, and 2002’s full-length, PALLELUJAH! followed, along with guest appearances for Deltron 3030, Masta Ace, and others. While his own output slowed down after the first half of the decade, Barman still appeared as a regular on the mixtape circuit for the likes of Memory Man.