Put A Record On: Asher Roth's Hip-Hop Debut
April 27th, 2009 | Global
Asher Roth's debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, pitches him as the missing link between Eminem's white boy looks and Kanye West's fascination with college frat-boy parties.
The Slim Shady reference is obvious as Asher, as well, is a petite blondie with the gift of gab. And on "As I Em," Roth acknowledge the similarity: "Em was great, yeah he paved the way for me, he was inspiration for everybody from A to Z." But as Eminem struggles to make his comeback message heard, Roth runs wild with his favourite subjects: girls and beer. Roth claims Mos Def and The Roots as influences, but he never reaches the vocal and lyrical depth of these artists—he might have to be satisfied with being known as a party hip-hopper, rather than a social commentator.
Asleep in the Bread Aisle is not a bad debut effort. There is speed, wit and bouncy beats; all of which you'd want from a catchy rap album. Roth was first discovered on MySpace, and he continued serving the cyberspace generation by releasing a mix tape accessible only through his website. This platform is winningly appropriate given that his career will probably be dependent on young internet-savvy college students looking for the perfect party soundtrack.
Asleep in the Bread Aisle is out now, more info at www.myspace.com/asherroth.
—David Hellqvist
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