Asher Roth

I heard (heard is the proper term, as I didn't listen to)The Greenhouse Effect mix tape as was impressed by Roth's ability to credibly imitate Eminem's flow because: that's not easy. I didn't know anything about him and I didn't really listen to the lyrics; I was mildly interested and not looking to hate him. White rappers are inherently problematic, but I don't automatically hate them. I like El-P, I like Aesop Rock, I sometimes like Eminem, though I'm feeling really, really over him, but that's another post.

Then about a week ago Roth tweeted about "nappy headed hoes" and I decided I hated him. Then he told a reporter:

All these black rappers - African rappers - talking about how much money they have. 'Do you realize what's going on in Africa right now?' " Roth says.

"It's just like, 'You guys are disgusting. Talking about billions and billions of dollars you have. And spending it frivolously, when you know, the Motherland is suffering beyond belief right now.' "

So now I hate him. Racist sanctimonious fuckwit. He's since apologized in a lengthy, pious, statement clearly influenced by the Eminem school of earnest white rapper racism damage control. I don't care.

I agree with Byron Crawford--dude is fucking stupid.

Another case in point: this shit. It is apparently a hit in high schools and frat houses across the land. Here I was in blissful ignorance. It's not just that he's a pompous ass, his music sucks too. Whatever charm was evident on the mix tape has vanished into the most hateful piece of music I have heard in a long time. This shit makes Limp Bizkit look exciting. at least they talked about breaking stuff. This dude is at least feigning complete naivite at how his flaunting of privilege ("Huh, I'm in college, whoa, I don't work and just party all the time with mah bros who come before teh hoes, I hope I flunk all my classes so I can stay!!!" No, srsly, that's the song) might read as obnoxious to some. There's no self-analysis or irony, no wink and no nod. Then there's the fact that none of the rhymes are clever and his flow sucks. The abuse of a Weezer sample genetically programmed to simulate Good Times. But it doesn't matter. As Touré points out:

Many of us are still holding on, deep in the cranium, to that 80s mentality, when hip hop was black and relatively underground. We are as far from that as the Somali pirate is from home. Asher is the face of the majority of hip hop fans. It's inevitable that eventually one of them would get onstage...It may irritate some hip hop fans that Asher is suburban and doesn't pay homage to black culture and the ghetto (things Eminem does) but suburbia thinks hip hop is theirs and they're not wrong. Asher isn't unique, he's going to be followed by many more like him.

God help us. Shit like this sucks my hope all away.

Even the "good" song on the album sucks. It's better than the single, but...so? It's grossly sexist with none of redeeming qualities of some sexist rap. Eminem uses sexism to paint an analytic picture of his psyche (this is not a defense of his sexism,) or at least expresses it through some complicated rhyme scheme that is accomplished and thrilling even as the words nauseate. This is just sexism for its own sake; pandering to the worst impulses of crappier 13 year old boys and those whose development arrested when they were the same. No other content left much of an impression on me, though his flow and voice on it sound like grade c bootleg Eminem--distracting rather than intriguing. Tom Breihan correctly asserts that it:

is not actually a good song, but which does have that Seth McFarlane pop culture reference onslaught working for it; it's the sort of song that makes people feel smart for getting the non-jokes. Seth McFarlane is bullshit, but he's remarkably lucrative and popular bullshit.

God help us all.