Asher Roth Loves College
Posted by Dr. Dean on June 21st, 2009
Asher Roth www.thedailykush.com
Roth’s lyrics characteristically center around what has been called “middle-class minutiae.” Roth’s song “I Love College” is about partying with alcohol and marijuana, but includes innocuous lyrics such as “I can get pizza a dollar a slice” that have been identified as “far from threatening”.
As he gained prominence, being a white performer in a predominantly black musical genre, Roth has earned many comparisons to Eminem, so much so that he devoted a track on his album to the famed rapper, entitled “As I Em.” About the comparison, Roth told Complex magazine:
“Him and I are different artists. I think the music’s going to portray that as time goes on. The comparisons are just…it’s cool to be compared to Em, but he’s one of the number one selling artists of all time. I’d rather be compared to him than pretty much anybody else. I think content and everything we rap about is completely different. We’re different artists. We just happened to be under the same genre.
When asked about the comparison by Hiphopdx.com, Roth said, “I think it’s too easy. ‘A white emcee with a sense of humor and a political side? Oh, let’s compare him to Em!’ … I have nothing but respect for him though; he made it possible for me to be here, he opened the doors, but we come from an entirely different inspiration.” Also in a song entitled “Silly Boy” produced by Don Cannon he raps “That Eminem comparison is barely accurate/My rapping is as passionate, but lacks the psychopath of it”.
In April 2009, following an event at Rutgers University, Roth posted an update on Twitter in which he made a reference to “nappy-headed hoes,” intending to mock Don Imus, who had gotten in trouble two years before for making that remark. However, the remark was seen as inappropriate, and he was quickly forced to retract it and issue an apology.
Tags: asher roth, hip hop, I Love College, the daily kush
