This man is the new Michael Jackson. He is the American Dream. Well, at least, this is what he pretends. Full of confidence, Jimmy Greek says so on the bombastic "Tea Party For Michael", and then on "Dusty Rhodes", on a record where he aims to be as notorious as Scott Baio. Yes, Scott Baio, the guy from Happy Days, whom he displays on the cover art.
This rapper from Philadelphia, in fact just a mailman, and a member of the Jam Faction collective, hasn't fulfilled this "ambition" yet. But he has the potential for it. The nine tracks on 9 Steps To Scott Baio Fame prove it. They concentrate in a short length all the talent Greek already showed with The Preferred Remedy, an album he released in 2002, and which deserved attention already, with its strong punchlines and the rapper's funny sense of self-deprecation.
Think about the most exuberant and hysterical rapper ever born, or some mix between LoDeck, Thirstin Howl III, and something else anyone would struggle to describe. Then multiply this by 10, or 20, and you'll get something close to Jimmy Greek. He is an incorrigible loudmouth, who moves from paroxysmal ego-trips to some exalted battle style. He is an angry and revengeful loser, who settles accounts about some unrequited love through hilarious punchlines, or a simulated telephone conversation, on "Come To Me".
The beats are managed by Rummage, like on the previous album. They are heavily influenced by Company Flow – just listen to "Bluggeoning Syrup" – and they fit well the rapper's assaults and energy. Each track is limited to the minimum: a loop, just one, often mistreated and built on the most radical materials - here a heavy metal guitar ("Tea Party for Michael"), there a crazy synthesizer ("Blitzkrieg"), and somewhere else some beat Gangstarr fans will be familiar with ("Casualties"). This is sufficient, this goes well with Greek's atrabilious lyrics, on this short and playful album.