07/28/08

One_Yaself_Hater · 07-28-2008, 04:29 PM

Whether or not you relate to his All-American suburbanite persona, it’s been hard to ignore Asher Roth lately. After signing with Steve Rifkind’s SRC Records (home to Akon and Wu-Tang), the white boy from Morrisville, PA made a big splash last month with his Don Cannon and DJ Drama assisted mixtape The Greenhouse Effect.

His voice and punchline-heavy flow might bear some similarity to that of a certain Detroit rapper from 8 Mile, but Roth has managed to establish a unique persona with his recent remakes of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” and Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys.” We spoke with Asher while he was in Chicago en route to working with The Cool Kids. In this exclusive interview, Asher talks about growing up on Dave Matthews, impressing Jay-Z, and why he’s not worried about his suburban rap rival John Brown.

Interview by Joe La Puma

Complex: Now that the Greenhouse Effect mixtape is out, what are you working on?

Asher Roth: We’re really in album mode right now. The studio album is looking like the start of the year, around February, but we’ll see how that plays out. I’m working with the Cool Kids, I’m actually in the studio with them right now and Devin The Dude. There are a couple other surprises, but I’ll keep those as surprises. You can expect some real, real, cool, people, man. And people who do what they do and do it well.

Complex: Is it true that you moved to Atlanta?

Asher Roth: I moved to Atlanta, Entourage style, with three of my buddies. [i] grabbed a place and everything like that, and set up shop in the A. It’s been great so far. You know, I’m a little white guy, real fair skinned, so as far as the dog days of summer go, it’s more or less in the house with the AC. But Georgia is great, man. Atlanta’s cool because it’s a city with trees and I dig that.

Complex: Have you been to Magic City or any of the strip clubs down there?

Asher Roth: Not yet. I hear about them all the time; Claremont Lounge and Magic City. I have yet to, but I don’t think I’ll leave Georgia for good until I do.

Complex: What did you major in when you were in college?

Asher Roth: I was in elementary education, actually. I still have a passion to teach. I find the little ones to be pretty enlightening and real honest and pure. Not conformed by society, TV and things like that yet.

Complex: Given rap’s current economic woes, do you think it was a smart move to leave college early?

Asher Roth: I mean, definitely. I think when you get an opportunity like one that was presented to me, that’s a chance of a lifetime. You know, at the same time I was in school, I was more or less in school to be in school. Leaving school has actually helped me so much, because I’m really finding out who I am and what I really care about. It’s going to be interesting because I still have a passion to go back to school.

Complex: How do you feel about John Brown’s comments where he implies that you copied his suburban persona?

Asher Roth: Man, that’s water under the to bridge to me. I mean, it’s just obvious that rap is in the suburbs now. And I’m not going to be anything that I’m not. I think it’s very obvious that I am who I am. I think rap is in the burbs and that’s that.

Complex: Why do you think that rap has been so present in the burbs?

Asher Roth: Well, it’s interesting because, you know, I’ve been listening to hip-hop since 7th grade. It’s been interesting because listening to rap and being a fan first, when I’m listening, there isn’t people who are speaking stuff that I live. I’m like, “Wow I buy these hip-hop CDs.” And a lot of people that look just like me buy these hip-hop CDs and come from where I come from. So that’s kind of why I started doing it, because I had a passion for hip-hop and it was like, “Yo, no one is doing what I do, so I’ll do it.” I don’t want to do the whole “should of, could of, would of” stuff. I have a real passion for it, and I definitely think the suburban kids are buying hip-hop. It’s always been in the burbs for the most part.

Complex: Now who’s the toughest dude in the game that you’ve hung out with thus far?

Asher Roth: I mean, to be honest with you, the dude that’s kind of like, “Whoa”…It was actually my dude Steve Rifkin. Like, the first time I met him I was like, “Man, this dude is going to slap me across the face.” Steve Rifkind’s a bulldog, but if you get to know him, he’s a real big homie. For the most part everyone’s pretty cool, man. I don’t think anybody wants to be like “Yo, don’t ever look at me wrong.” I don’t think people want to be ever be angry like that.

Complex: If it came down to it, what rapper do you think you can beat in a fistfight?

Asher Roth: [Laughs] To beat in a fistfight? I don’t know man. I’m 5-10, but a buck forty-five so I don’t know about a fistfight. Maybe a submission hold—that’s where I stand my chance. But no, man—I’m a lover not a fighter for the most part.

Complex: Eminem’s been kind of M.I.A lately. Do you think that he’s threatened by new artists like yourself?

Asher Roth: Nah, I don’t think Eminem is threatened. I think that he’s one of the best that has ever done it. I think that Em is just living his life. You know, he’s an adult now; he’s got responsibilities that I don’t have. I don’t have a child to raise and a family to take care of. I’m sure he’s going to come back out because he has a passion for the music just like everybody else. But you know, that’s just what happens when you get older. When you have other responsibilities in life.

Complex: A lot of people have pointed out that there are similarities between you and Em. If he came back and called you out, how would you deal with it?

Asher Roth: 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.

Complex: You said that you started listening to rap at 14?

Asher Roth: It was around 7th grade, so I think it was like 1998, about 10 years ago. Before that I was on some Dire Straits, to Bruce Springsteen…my mom had Earth, Wind and Fire and stuff. It’s funny because I was talking to my publicist yesterday, we were cracking up like, “Yo, the first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band Crash!” And he was just like, “Yeah man, you really are from the burbs, aren’t you?”

Complex: Everyone was on DMB in the burbs.

Asher Roth: Everybody. Everybody was jamming to that stuff. I mean, that’s what it was. That was my first year, and my first rap CD I ever bought was Jay-Z’s Vol. 2 […Hard Knock Life]. That kind of goes to show how late I got into it.

Complex: Speaking of Jay-Z, you’ve talked before about having to audition for him when you were shopping for the deal. Do you think he regrets signing Pittsburgh Slim to Def Jam instead of you?

Asher Roth: I have no idea man. I have no idea what Jay thinks. I’m sure he has no regrets in the world he’s chillin’.

Complex: What was it like rapping for him?

Asher Roth: That was awesome. Being able to actually meet him and kick it with him and pay a little homage and everything—that was so cool for me. I’m still a kid, man. I’m still 22 years old. I’m a child, just growing up, so it’s fun to meet one of your idols growing up. And that was pretty much the experience. It was cool for him to be like, “Yo, I approve. I think you’re dope.” Like, “Do your damn thing.” So that was cool.

Complex: You address him passing on you in “Roth Boys.” Did it frustrate you at all?

Asher Roth: No, I think everybody’s got their gripe with commercial music. I think that everyone who really does music is like “Ah, man, how did stuff like this make it on the radio?” Everyone gets mad, but life is too short to hold grudges or anything. I don’t hold a grudge at all. More power to everybody that does music. Do what you do and do it well, as long as you want to be doing it. You know, no hard feelings at all.

Complex: Some critics of rap music like to say that it’s exploitative because it plays into the worst stereotypes about black people. Do you ever worry that you might be playing into stereotypes about suburban white people?

Asher Roth: Not so much, because I’m really making honest music. I’m not like trying to make something up and actually exploit it, like it’s not you and you pretend that it is. I think really what I’m doing is just bringing light to stuff that’s been kind of covered up for a while. Like I said, I think hip-hop’s been in the burbs for a long time. When I dropped that “Milli” remix, so many people reached out to me and said, “Wow, you finally said something that I’ve been feeling for so, so long.” I think that’s really what it is.

Source:
http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07...e-suburbs-now/

Yuri Orlov · 08-02-2008, 02:55 PM

That kid is dope.

07-28-2008, 04:29 PM	#1
One_Yaself_Hater The "B-Boy" Circa '82-'88 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In A Weed Spot!!! Posts: 3,525 Thanks: 338 Thanked 8,146 Times in 688 Posts	07/28/08 - Asher Roth: “Rap Is In The Suburbs Now” 07/28/08 - Asher Roth: “Rap Is In The Suburbs Now” Whether or not you relate to his All-American suburbanite persona, it’s been hard to ignore Asher Roth lately. After signing with Steve Rifkind’s SRC Records (home to Akon and Wu-Tang), the white boy from Morrisville, PA made a big splash last month with his Don Cannon and DJ Drama assisted mixtape The Greenhouse Effect. His voice and punchline-heavy flow might bear some similarity to that of a certain Detroit rapper from 8 Mile, but Roth has managed to establish a unique persona with his recent remakes of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” and Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys.” We spoke with Asher while he was in Chicago en route to working with The Cool Kids. In this exclusive interview, Asher talks about growing up on Dave Matthews, impressing Jay-Z, and why he’s not worried about his suburban rap rival John Brown. Interview by Joe La Puma Complex: Now that the Greenhouse Effect mixtape is out, what are you working on? Asher Roth: We’re really in album mode right now. The studio album is looking like the start of the year, around February, but we’ll see how that plays out. I’m working with the Cool Kids, I’m actually in the studio with them right now and Devin The Dude. There are a couple other surprises, but I’ll keep those as surprises. You can expect some real, real, cool, people, man. And people who do what they do and do it well. Complex: Is it true that you moved to Atlanta? Asher Roth: I moved to Atlanta, Entourage style, with three of my buddies. [i] grabbed a place and everything like that, and set up shop in the A. It’s been great so far. You know, I’m a little white guy, real fair skinned, so as far as the dog days of summer go, it’s more or less in the house with the AC. But Georgia is great, man. Atlanta’s cool because it’s a city with trees and I dig that. Complex: Have you been to Magic City or any of the strip clubs down there? Asher Roth: Not yet. I hear about them all the time; Claremont Lounge and Magic City. I have yet to, but I don’t think I’ll leave Georgia for good until I do. Complex: What did you major in when you were in college? Asher Roth: I was in elementary education, actually. I still have a passion to teach. I find the little ones to be pretty enlightening and real honest and pure. Not conformed by society, TV and things like that yet. Complex: Given rap’s current economic woes, do you think it was a smart move to leave college early? Asher Roth: I mean, definitely. I think when you get an opportunity like one that was presented to me, that’s a chance of a lifetime. You know, at the same time I was in school, I was more or less in school to be in school. Leaving school has actually helped me so much, because I’m really finding out who I am and what I really care about. It’s going to be interesting because I still have a passion to go back to school. Complex: How do you feel about John Brown’s comments where he implies that you copied his suburban persona? Asher Roth: Man, that’s water under the to bridge to me. I mean, it’s just obvious that rap is in the suburbs now. And I’m not going to be anything that I’m not. I think it’s very obvious that I am who I am. I think rap is in the burbs and that’s that. Complex: Why do you think that rap has been so present in the burbs? Asher Roth: Well, it’s interesting because, you know, I’ve been listening to hip-hop since 7th grade. It’s been interesting because listening to rap and being a fan first, when I’m listening, there isn’t people who are speaking stuff that I live. I’m like, “Wow I buy these hip-hop CDs.” And a lot of people that look just like me buy these hip-hop CDs and come from where I come from. So that’s kind of why I started doing it, because I had a passion for hip-hop and it was like, “Yo, no one is doing what I do, so I’ll do it.” I don’t want to do the whole “should of, could of, would of” stuff. I have a real passion for it, and I definitely think the suburban kids are buying hip-hop. It’s always been in the burbs for the most part. Complex: Now who’s the toughest dude in the game that you’ve hung out with thus far? Asher Roth: I mean, to be honest with you, the dude that’s kind of like, “Whoa”…It was actually my dude Steve Rifkin. Like, the first time I met him I was like, “Man, this dude is going to slap me across the face.” Steve Rifkind’s a bulldog, but if you get to know him, he’s a real big homie. For the most part everyone’s pretty cool, man. I don’t think anybody wants to be like “Yo, don’t ever look at me wrong.” I don’t think people want to be ever be angry like that. Complex: If it came down to it, what rapper do you think you can beat in a fistfight? Asher Roth: [Laughs] To beat in a fistfight? I don’t know man. I’m 5-10, but a buck forty-five so I don’t know about a fistfight. Maybe a submission hold—that’s where I stand my chance. But no, man—I’m a lover not a fighter for the most part. Complex: Eminem’s been kind of M.I.A lately. Do you think that he’s threatened by new artists like yourself? Asher Roth: Nah, I don’t think Eminem is threatened. I think that he’s one of the best that has ever done it. I think that Em is just living his life. You know, he’s an adult now; he’s got responsibilities that I don’t have. I don’t have a child to raise and a family to take care of. I’m sure he’s going to come back out because he has a passion for the music just like everybody else. But you know, that’s just what happens when you get older. When you have other responsibilities in life. Complex: A lot of people have pointed out that there are similarities between you and Em. If he came back and called you out, how would you deal with it? Asher Roth: 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. Complex: You said that you started listening to rap at 14? Asher Roth: It was around 7th grade, so I think it was like 1998, about 10 years ago. Before that I was on some Dire Straits, to Bruce Springsteen…my mom had Earth, Wind and Fire and stuff. It’s funny because I was talking to my publicist yesterday, we were cracking up like, “Yo, the first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band Crash!” And he was just like, “Yeah man, you really are from the burbs, aren’t you?” Complex: Everyone was on DMB in the burbs. Asher Roth: Everybody. Everybody was jamming to that stuff. I mean, that’s what it was. That was my first year, and my first rap CD I ever bought was Jay-Z’s Vol. 2 […Hard Knock Life]. That kind of goes to show how late I got into it. Complex: Speaking of Jay-Z, you’ve talked before about having to audition for him when you were shopping for the deal. Do you think he regrets signing Pittsburgh Slim to Def Jam instead of you? Asher Roth: I have no idea man. I have no idea what Jay thinks. I’m sure he has no regrets in the world he’s chillin’. Complex: What was it like rapping for him? Asher Roth: That was awesome. Being able to actually meet him and kick it with him and pay a little homage and everything—that was so cool for me. I’m still a kid, man. I’m still 22 years old. I’m a child, just growing up, so it’s fun to meet one of your idols growing up. And that was pretty much the experience. It was cool for him to be like, “Yo, I approve. I think you’re dope.” Like, “Do your damn thing.” So that was cool. Complex: You address him passing on you in “Roth Boys.” Did it frustrate you at all? Asher Roth: No, I think everybody’s got their gripe with commercial music. I think that everyone who really does music is like “Ah, man, how did stuff like this make it on the radio?” Everyone gets mad, but life is too short to hold grudges or anything. I don’t hold a grudge at all. More power to everybody that does music. Do what you do and do it well, as long as you want to be doing it. You know, no hard feelings at all. Complex: Some critics of rap music like to say that it’s exploitative because it plays into the worst stereotypes about black people. Do you ever worry that you might be playing into stereotypes about suburban white people? Asher Roth: Not so much, because I’m really making honest music. I’m not like trying to make something up and actually exploit it, like it’s not you and you pretend that it is. I think really what I’m doing is just bringing light to stuff that’s been kind of covered up for a while. Like I said, I think hip-hop’s been in the burbs for a long time. When I dropped that “Milli” remix, so many people reached out to me and said, “Wow, you finally said something that I’ve been feeling for so, so long.” I think that’s really what it is. Source: http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07...e-suburbs-now/ __________________ "PROPZ" or "Negz" DONT PUT FOOD ON MY TABLE, FUCK 'EM!!!!!! (c) SO "PROPZ" If U WANT, IDGAF!!! - CHECK MY XXX THREADZ!!! OYH!!! (c) 07/11/08 - Nike... 07-11-2008 01:29 PM J-Banks Thanked Post HAPPY BIRTHDAY One_Yaself_Hater !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-HH411

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08-02-2008, 02:55 PM	#2
Yuri Orlov Yayo For Vice-President Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Back in the machine for the fuck of it. Posts: 2,319 Thanks: 1,322 Thanked 1,137 Times in 206 Posts	That kid is dope.