Hailing from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Asher Roth is a newcomer to the hip hop scene. Roth is what every white suburban hip hop fan strives to be: a gifted lyricist who doesn't rhyme about subjects beyond his own experience, a rapper who doesn't take himself seriously and a soon-to-be player in the big time hip hop game.
Roth owes most - if not all - of his current hip hop success to the social networking Web sites MySpace and Facebook, where Steve Rifkin, the head of SRC Records, discovered him. After a meeting between the two, Rifkin had Roth rap-battle people in the building. Refusing to let the talented MC loose, Rifkin signed Roth on the spot. Signing up-and-coming Atlanta heavy-hitter Scott Braun as an agent, Roth is well on his way. With the little time he has had on the hip hop scene, Roth has made a name for himself, landing interviews in the magazines Vibe and URB. Perhaps the biggest achievement for the college-aged rapper is being featured on the popular magazine XXL's November cover.
With no studio albums out yet, Roth recently worked and prepped his first mixtape with fellow Philadelphians (and mixtape legends) DJ Drama and Don Cannon. The result was The Greenhouse Effect, Roth's first official music release of any sort. Laying down verses over some of hip hop's most noticeable beats, Roth uses his sense of humor and creative rhyming style to mark his territory in the new age of hip hop's rising stars.
College humor shines bright on the track "Cartoon Chick," where Roth rhymes about which animated female he would like to bring home after a date. "Right off of the bat I would have Jessica Rabbit / She's the baddest / I love them tatties / Yeah that chest press / In that red dress /And I am obsessed yes / With red heads." Roth's lyrical abilities shine through in the rest of the song as he continues to rhyme about nearly every famous cartoon lady. While humor is the main ability Roth showcases on this track, he also demonstrates creativity and cohesiveness.
This is most evident on the track "Black Mags (Remix)." Roth does his own version of The Cool Kids' ode to old school BMX bikes, but instead of rhyming about things with two tires, Roth retells the story of his first day of first grade: "I got the fresh bowl cut / Curly blonde locks / L.A. gears light up when I walk / Floss in my OshKosh B'Gosh / Overalls match my He-Man lunch box." Roth has the lyrical tools to make rhymes about the first grade killer. Tracks like "Black Mags (Remix)" show that the suburban rapper doesn't take himself too seriously and has the gift to rhyme about anything with the greatest of ease.
Roth manages to balance his light-hearted bravado with a legitimate message by questioning what and who a rapper is. On "The Lounge," the young MC asks, "What's a rapper look like / Is he tan / Black, white / Is he blacked out / High on the crack pipe / Or one of the cats that ride on the half pipe." Continuing to question hip hop norms, Roth raises more questions about the "rap type" with, "Don't wanna act like I know / About the rap type / 'Cause matter fact / Because I can't grasp who rap likes." Roth addresses the issues hip hop has had with Caucasian MCs - or the lack thereof - in mainstream music. The song continues to talk about what it takes to be considered a rapper. Roth emphasizes the ambiguity of rap character: "I would like to know what makes a rapper / It might be me / But I don't think it matters."
The Greenhouse Effect is a solid performance from young Roth. While the mixtape shows room for improvement, it also highlights Roth's tremendous potential. The next release from Roth should show great improvement on his already rock-solid rhyming ability. Asher Roth is here to stay.
Now that you've read about it, listen to it. Visit myspace.com/asherrothmusic or thedailykush.com for more information.
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