Right now, there is no rapper out that is dividing people like Asher Roth. Asher is white, with reddish hair and does not have the look of a rapper. He does not have the background of a rapper. He did not grow up listening to exclusively rap music. He is from a suburb in Philadelphia. He has both parents, went to college and never struggled for money. In rap music, most fans need to identify with what is being said. This is Asher Roth's problem. Being white is still kind of a problem, but what is more of a problem is how he was raised. See, Eminem came up through battling and he was poor. People could relate to that. Asher Roth represents a new kind of hip-hop. His level of acceptance will go a long way to show what hip-hop is willing to allow. From the three major hip-hop websites I visit, Asher's album has received an 8/10, a 7.5/10 and a 4/10, so there is no consensus how he did his first time out. What is clear is that saying his name in hip-hop circles will offer strong differing opinions from everyone. So, on with the review.
1. Lark in my Go-Cart: first off, this might be favorite beat of 2009 thus far. The break beat, guitars and distorted organ sounds are super crazy and really set thew album off properly. The song itself seems to exist merely for some verbal dexterity, which is not a bad thing, but the whole song is nonsensical. It is chalk full of the most random pop cultures references. He name drops, among others, Kelly Kapowski, Tedddy Ruxpin, Razor Ramon and Tim Duncan. It is an interesting introduction, but the beat is so dope, the rest almost does not matter on this track. 4/5
2. Blunt Cruisin': I do not, nor have I ever smoked weed. Yet, this song is so chill, I kind of want to start. There is nothing special about what is going on in the song, except it sounds like the personification of smoking weed. it is kind of lazy, but funny and then paranoid. It is probably the song most rap fans will identify with, because it is basic story telling, with a chill beat and helpful lyrics like" You don't need roach clips if you can't hold it/You can use your phone tip, hurry up and take this." Asher is definitely a pot head and he makes others want to be. 3.5/5
3. I love College: Only a white boy would sample Weezer for a rap song. I want to hate this song, but I am singing it ALL OF THE DAMN TIME! This is the catchiest of catchy summer tracks, except it is not a summer track. I think anyone who has been to college can understand the song and it is a playful track with a creative use of Weezer's guitar loop. Asher is a charismatic kid on the Mic and this song is the perfect example of who he is. He just wants to have fun while rapping. His rhymes are probably the weakest in this song, but it is a wonderful lead single. It is kind of funny that a song about a crazy party is rapped in such a chill way, but Asher does not allow anyone to harsh his mellow.
4. La Di Da- This is where Asher will have his first issue with rap fans feeling where he is coming from. Asher cannot be rattled and cannot get mad, so when he has had enough he just says "La di da da da." Well, whatever Mr, Roth, I get it, but most rap fans will not. The song is cool, with really crisp production and Asher has a nice flow over the beat, which I think is unexpected for a white kid who grew up listening to Dave Matthews. Another thing I really love about Roth is his diction. Every word is super clear, no matter how quickly he raps. I really like the song because it feels like the kid is always about to blow but he never does. This is a bottled up track. I am sure I will want to see what Roth sounds like when he lets loose, but for now I like a song that sounds like a guy trying to do his best to keep his cool. 4/5
5. Be By myself- This song has single potential all of the way. First off Cee-Lo sounds perfect on the hook and it gives Roth a bit of credibility. Asher is also impressive on the lyrics dexterity here. I love the opening few lines "Ash is young, attractive, handsome bachelor, awesome rapper/Got a knack for vernacular when I perform spectacular." The way he pronounces the words is impressive and I like the topic of a young man not ready to be in a relationship. This is a total guy song and I have respect for that. He raps about Madden too, which is perfect. He also talks a bit about his perfect woman. Asher is only 22 and he needs to be by myself to hang with his boys. Plus he uses the words "dag" and "rad" in the song. White boy power! 4/5
6. She don't wanna man- I should hate this Black Eyed Peas inspired song, but I'll be damned if I don't jam out every time I hear it. Asher is pure fluff here, but the hook is catchy, the beat is jammin' and Asher is having a good time. It is a good dance song or party song. It is certainly better than most dance songs, plus, it tells a little story. Also, the song is how a woman actually just wants to dance and is not looking for a guy to put his hands all over a girl, which is a nice change of pace for a dance song. I mean it isn't about girls acting like strippers. Plus, Keri Hilton as the girl is sexy voiced and Asher and Keri have a nice chemistry on the track. 4/5
7. Sour Patch Kids- Here is the first track I really just do not have much need for. I love how it begins, but when the beat fully kicks in, it just does not sound like the right kind of beat for a song about Government and Global Warming. Asher's lyrics are merely platitudes or talking points which is kind of obnoxious. I do like the line "Mother Earth shrugs her shoulders and we all get evicted," but that is about it. The hook is too lazy considering he is trying to be political and he is just off his game here. He does show more of that verbal dexterity as he rhymes a bunch of words really quickly, but it is not as impressive here. 2/5
8. As I em- The beat on this thing is spectacular. It perfectly fits the moody tone of the song and Chester French is just killing that hook. Asher Roth sounds like Eminem and people accuse him of trying to copy Eminem. This is Asher addressing the topic. I was surprised to hear the song on the album, but I like it. Asher is being honest about how Eminem opened up doors, but is also defending himself and how different he and Eminem are. Lyrically Asher is at his top on this song. He not only rhymes well, but the lines actually have a point here. He uses different rhymes patterns, which works in a song about Eminem since Eminem is the master at that. This song shows flashes of Asher's ability to really make a name for himself as a rapper. I can listen to this song all day. 5/5
9. Lion's Roar- Asher Roth tries his hand at double time rapping. Double time rapping is not an easy task and I admire Roth for tackling it. The beat perfectly compliments the double time rapping and Roth is going along fine. The song is about sex, which is a good topic for double time rapping because double time rapping works better when rhyming short words quickly and a lot of words rhyme with bed, sex and girl. However, Roth makes a huge mistake by letting Busta Rhymes on the track. Very few rap in double time better than Busta. The guy released dope singles in double time rap and he makes Roth look bad the second he begins to tear the track in half. If you let Busta loose on a track, you gotta come much harder than Roth does. 3.5/5
10. Bad Day- For Ice Cube a good day was a day he did not have to use his gun. For Asher Roth a bad day is forgetting his iPod and having to be in a plane without it. Oh how different a life Asher lives. Asher shows himself to be a nice story teller as each verse builds on the worst day. Except as far as bad days go, this is kind of weak. Roth changes his flow and voice inflection for the song, which is a nice change of pace. I like the hook because the guy singing it is trying so hard to sell this idea of a bad day but then Asher comes in and he just cannot muster any real anger. Asher is just too cool to get too angry at anything. 3/5
11. His Dream- Asher takes on the role of narrator here. He is narrating the story of a man who is 50 years old and realizing life has passed him by. Roth feels very sincere with his voice and the beat is calm and kind of morose, both of which fit the mood. I am sure he is talking about his own father here, which is not a common thing in rap. Rappers are not always kind to their fathers, because so many of them were absent. The violins provide a nice second movement and Roth really seems to understand what his father gave up to make sure his kids have a better life and Roth's father described as a dream defender is a cool visual for me. 5/5
12. Fallin- This is the first song in rap music that I can totally relate to. Asher is giving a history of his life and how he came to being a rap fan and how it was not easy. Now, I did not go into rapping, but when Asher says "Even though I couldn't really relate, I kept listening, studying and stuffing my face." This is how I have always felt. The beat and hook give off an optimistic view of the world and Asher is having some fun with it all and lyrically he comes off pretty strong. It is a little too fluffy and I wish he had delved deeper, but with lines like "Ballpoint pen, mines spinning like a whirlwind/Getting on the mic, I'm a wizard like Merlin/Breaking barriers, tearing walls like it's Berlin" it is easy to forgive a lack of depth. 5/5
13. Perfectionist- I kind of feel like I should love this track more than I do. The beat sounds a little too raw or rough for Asher's voice and style. He does alright over it and the hook is dope and Beanie Siegel unleashes something fierce on it, but there is just something about the song I cannot get into. Asher comes correct on verse two, but this feels less like an album cut and more like a mixtape track. I just do not think it fits the album. Maybe that is my problem, as a song it is nice, but as part of a bigger project, it just sticks out from the rest of the album. 3/5
14. The lounge- This was actually the first song I ever heard from Mr. I love College. It is a bonus track on this album, but it was the song that got people talking a year or so again. The beat is very piano heavy and Asher is really trying to figure something out on this track. He begins "I got a question, what's a rapper look like?" Then he spends the rest of the song trying to answer that question by asking other questions. It was the perfect introduction to this gangly white kid who wears flip-flops and basketball shorts. He does not look like a rapper and he never will. However, if you can bring it, does it matter? Or, is he only getting press because he does not look like a rapper? We will never know, but I like that Asher is aware of the complications that come from looking the way he looks. 5/5
I have probably rated some of these songs higher than I normally would, but I like this kid. He does not seem to have aspirations above his skill set and he is "creating his own lane." He is attempting to change the idea of what and who a rapper is. That takes balls and it takes confidence, but Roth is also aware that he is a visitor in the world of hip-hop. he has the respect of rappers, but he also decided to make his album his way. You will not find a big time producer on it and only two guest appearances by people actually rapping. To do that in this era of rap is a big deal and should not be overlooked. I do not know if Asher has what it takes to be more than a one hit wonder or if he can outlive his gimmick, but on the European version of the album he trades rhymes with Slick Rick, so he must be doing something very right.
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