Now that Eminem’s PR epic has cast him in the role of cuddly lunch-truck defender of gays and women, it’s time we nominate another smart-ass white boy to serve as the nation’s aural id. My vote-MC Paul Barman. Sure, rapping about agitprop and Liz Hurley isn’t nearly as titillating as trailer parks and baby-mama drama, but if we’re going to see (mark my words) white rappers popping up like Wal-Marts in factory towns, we may as well treat ourselves to the absolute best. Nothing’s safe from Barman’s stealthy wordplay (activists’ dress codes, contemporary teaching methods, NAFTA, celebrity sex, the vagina). Rife with indie-cred (a Matador 12″, a cameo on the Deltron 3030 album, a tour with Blackalicious and production assists by Prince Paul), Barman is poised as the bratty savior of a new era. Paullelujah!