Believe the Hype: Asher Roth - Asleep In The Bread Aisle

While some might be tempted to write Roth off as a novelty act or cult favorite, Roth puts in the necessary work to prove otherwise. If you were lucky enough to get a copy of The Greenhouse Effect, Roth's debut mixtape project, complete with an assist from DJ Drama and Don Cannon, you know what I'm talking about. Roth demolishes instrumentals for "Black Mags" by the Cool Kids, and "Cannon" by DJ Drama among others, putting his own creative spin on each.

The second single off of the actual album "Asleep In The Bread Aisle" is "Lark On My Go-Kart", which comes off like a psychedelic stream of consciousness with Mario Kart and Saved by the Bell references over production that sounds like a hip-hop video game. Though Roth's nasal voice and slightly over-pronounced delivery has drawn him some obvious comparisons to Eminem, but this comparison doesn't do Roth justice. There are vocal similarities, but Roth's college-boy sensibilities and alternative influences set him apart in his own lane. I would even put him closer to Kanye West or Kid Cudi musically.

The first single off of the album was "I Love College", a frat-house ode to beer, pizza, marijuana, and higher education. In the same vein, "Blunt Cruisin'", Roth's tribute to the suburban pasttime of driving with weed, delviers a feel-good vibe that isn't usually found in hip-hop today (think Pharcyde, Beasti Boys or De La Soul)."Lion's Roar", which features Busta Rhymes over what sounds like a Moby track, was in the words of Randy Jackson "just a'ight for me, dog". Though Roth's flow is effortlessly and the frenetic energy level is consisten throughout, the lackluster Busta verse leaves a lot to be desired and the hokey chorus keeps it from being a track I will want to play too often. "Perfectionist" is an awkward collaboration with Beanie Sigel and Rock City, where after Ash's verse, the song seems to become a whole different song. The chorus kills the potential of the track, with Rock City's lazy hook unfortunately sounding like everything else on the radio.

It's clear Asher Roth is at his best when left to his own devices, which says a lot nowadays when every artist features at least one other artist on every other track. He specifically shines on his more introspective tracks like the political tirade"Sour Patch Kids", the motivational "La Di Da", and the soulful, family-friendly "His Dream". Overall, this is a rock-solid debut with a lot of range from an artist who refuses to fit the mold of what is expected of a hip-hop artist, and with good reason. On "Asleep in the Bread Aisle", Asher Roth gives a voice to hip-hop heads who happen to be from the 'burbs and still doesn't alienate the backpackers and anyone else who appreciates authenticity.

Lord of the iPod: Volume 1...Constant Rotation

These are some songs that are on heavy rotation on the iPod at the moment and a little commentary on each. So we've established that I've got some time on my hands and I've accepted that...Anyway, hit up imeem.com and like I always say, get familiar.

Every Girl - Li'l Wayne & FriendsThough I think Wayne has started to stretch himself out too thin recently, I saw him perform this on MTV Spring Break with Drake, Jae Millz, and someone else and decided to download it based on that. This would have been better suited for a summer call-and-response anthem, though. It feels like it's too soon.

Lark On My Go-Kart - Asher RothI've been on Asher Roth since DJ Drama and DJ Cannon's brilliant co-signing of the dude on "The Greenhouse Effect Vol. 1" mixtape, which came with a vicious freestlye to the "Cannon" instrumental, among other jewels. On this track, Ash brags about Mario Kart skills, makes Saved by the Bell references, and Cheetos being his "choice of chip". You gotta respect a white rapper that reps for the burbs, especially when he does it with a real grasp of hip-hop and a seamless delivery.

Pennies - The Cool KidsThis beat bangs heavily on the right system. Though the Cool Kids are decidedly retro in references and fashion sense, they definitely take it to 2030 from a musical standpoint. The production is really where it's at on this track, with a hard bassline and what sounds like a loop of that beeping you hear when you leave an old car's door open, which surprisingly makes the song better and isn't annoying at all. Not to mention the catchy whistle which makes the song something you HAVE to rewind once it's done.

Look Up At The Stars - Kid Cudi f/ WaleThese dudes are generations ahead of most rappers in the game right now and this track demonstrates that to death. I'm not mad at the auto-tuned hook, either. For some reason, the movie TRON comes to mind listening to this.

Impress the Kid - Slick RickThis isn't new, but was a recent find for me. Slick Rick re-establishes that his delivery has only become better with age. Come get some, you little bums.

Pop Champagne (Remix) - The Clipse f/ Ab-LivaSo just when I was getting sick of "Pop Champagne" (I swear it took a month for me to admit I kinda liked it in the first place), the Clipse drop verses to it and put Ab Liva on it. Ab is one quarter of the Clipse' side project the Re-Up Gang and is one of the most underrated lyricists doing it right now.

Buggin' Out 2009 - Consequence f/ Kid CudiI don't even think I have the full version of this, but when I first heard this, it sounded like some mid-90s Tribe Called Quest, possibly some De La Soul. Coincidentally, Consequence has been around and been associated with Tribe since he guest-starred on the Midnight Marauders album. He and Cudi both drop crisp verses over what sounds like various jazz loops on some Pharcyde ish.

Walking On The Moon - The Dream f/ Kanye West - If you didn't know already, the Dream just recently dropped a masterpiece and this joint serves as case in point. Dream's in a lane of his own making, but this track (like a few off the last one) smells like Prince to me, mixed with a little Michael Jackson circa Thriller.

Me & Nas Bring It To You Hardest - Slick Rick f/ NasAnother not-that-old Slick Rick joint, the Ruler joins with Nas on this one for a track that sounds like mid-90's New York hip-hop. It almost sounds like a sample RZA would use for a Wu-Tang track, with a strong piano presence and a looped vocal.

Electric Feel Remix - MGMT f/ Jim JonesI don't even know what genre to categorize the original song in, but MGMT did the damn thing with this jam. It's like Brand New Heavies meets the Killers, but don't quote me on that. This is so unique, it warrants no comparison, really. The Jim Jones verses on the remix strangely don't take away from the song at all and I actually prefer that version.

Chillin' - Wale f/ Lady GaGaI've heard a lot of buzz around Lady GaGa, but never really heard her until this track. Wale kills the verses, as usual, while Lady GaGa lays the hook. Is it just me or does she sound a little like Santogold?

Hustle - Nipsy HustleThe coast is back! This track is as California as folding up your Dickies and stuffing them under the mattress to keep the crease in. Reminds me of a cross between Snoop Dogg and The Game. This joint almost makes you want to buy a gold herringbone and a pair of blue Chucks...almost.

Wrong Lover - J. Holiday f/ Rick RossWith a surprising Elton John "Bennie & The Jets" sample, Holiday follows up the babymaker single "It's Yours" with this track featuring Rick Ross. Ross is on his overweight-lover, B.I.G. starter kit swag and Holiday lays down solid vocals.

Renaissance (Remix) - Q-Tip f/ Busta Rhymes, Raekwon & Lil WayneLastly, I don't know where this track came from, but these are four excellent verses in my opinion, which well outweigh the track's obscurity. Probably one of my top five rappers of all time, Raekwon steps up after Bus' rock-solid verse and kills it before Wayne closes with a verse that almost makes you not mad at the fact that he's overexposed.

Why I'm Not Mad At Hip-Hop

For years and years, I have heard people ask the question: "what's happened" in reference to the way that hip-hop has changed over the years, stating that it has become overly sexual, overly materialistic, or lacks substance. There have been moments where I've fallen in and out of love with hip-hop, but I always come back to it with all of the enthusiasm I grew up with.
I was raised on hip-hop. My parents were young, so it was nothing for my dad to pick me up from school playing N.W.A. or Ice Cube in the car. My dad was originally from South Central so west coast gangsta rap was always a staple ion the house, although Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, and a variety of diverse artists were also played frequently, blended with everything from rock to jazz to reggae. Today, you can find everything from Sinatra to UGK on my iPod and I'm actually really excited about hip-hop right now.

"No More Good Music"

My feeling is that if anyone is complaining about not being able to find good music, they aren't looking hard enough. Radio and TV are big business at this point, especially when associated with hip-hop, so if you're listening to the radio or watching BET or MTV, you're allowing yourself to be force-fed the mainstream, which is not necessarily for everyone, particularly those who are more knowledgeable about music. I don't listen to the radio and haven't in about ten years. I do watch BET almost on a daily basis and I just look at it for what it is. 106 & Park comes on after I get home from work, so it's easy to just shut off the brain for a moment and enjoy the show. If something comes on I can't get with, I understand that their target age group is ten years or so younger than me and exercise my ability to change the channel! The way I go about finding new music is by either word of mouth, reading, or simply trial & error, which is the only way to really go about it in my eyes if you want more than what's being offered in mainstream media.

"Too Much Sex in Hip-Hop"

As far as hip-hop being over-sexualized today, look at society as a whole. EVERYTHING is over-sexualized. Hip-hop is a product of its environment and art imitates life. I wasn't mad at Nelly's "Tip Drill" video. As long as everyone involved was over 18 and was cut a check, what is the issue? Sure, it showed some crass behavior, but it's building a fantasy. Men see fully-dressed women every day, so what is TV for if not an escape from everyday life? If you're anything like me, you can enjoy the visual, but in real life, you wouldn't look at any of those women as relationship material considering their line of work anyway. I am willing to give most Black men the benefit of the doubt that they know the difference between a real woman and what is depicted in videos. It is up to us as a community to make sure our children know this too, but we can't allow for artists to take on that responsibility for us (and if your kid was up after 3am watching BET Uncut when it was on, then they're in trouble anyway).

Why I'm Not Mad At Souljah Boy

Souljah Boy falls into a relatively new category of artists who make what many would call "fluff" music, or music of little substance. Some would go so far as to say it's not hip-hop. What was "Rapper's Delight" if not a party song, even to this day? Would anyone question the validity of that song as hip-hop? Personally, I love Common and Mos Def and what people would call "conscious MCs", but if I'm getting ready to step out or if I'm in a club, that isn't what I want to hear. I want something to fit the situation. Black music has become extremely successful over the past 20 years, so it's only natural that the progression of many artists will be toward the celebration of their success. Souljah Boy's having the time of his life and making music on his age level, so I can't knock the hustle. Hip-hop was supposed to be fun, right? I think the best thing about hip-hop today is that there are so many facets to it and it represents everyone. Hip-hop is one of the only truly organic art forms. You notice that jazz, reggae, rock etc. all have distinctive sounds that make them what they are. Hip-hop can be infused into any other type of music and a hip-hop track can come totally out of left field with a new sound and still be credible. Lighten up, folks.

Leaders of the New School

I'm actually really optimistic about hip-hop. Hip-hop's grown into a genre that's got something for everyone. Just look at the following artists: Wale, Mickey Factz, Cory Gunz, Asher Roth, the Cool Kids, Lupe Fiasco, the Foreign Exchange, and Kid Cudi to name a few (I swear I was up on all of these long before the XXL article). Then look at the effect that hip-hop is having on R&B with artists like T-Pain and the Dream taking it in a different direction. There's even some influence from entirely separate genres (see Li'l Wayne's "Prom Queen" and Kanye West's recent "808s & Heartbreaks").

The point is that this is an organic art form and remaining stagnant or only making songs with a message would do our whole community a disservice by not allowing it to expand and be all-inclusive. If you don't like what you are seeing in the mainstream, go out and support the artists you care about...buy a CD, see a live show, or blog about it and let others know. The media presents what the public shows they want economically, so the dollar speaks in this instance. Just sitting back and complaining is counterproductive.

And if you still can't find any good music, holla at me and I'll burn you some CDs...no seriously, I will burn you a CD.