Asher Roth Asleep In The Bread Aisle |
|
 | Tracklist:
1 Lark on My Go-Kart 2:55
2 Blunt Cruisin' 3:37
3 I Love College 4:02
4 La Di Da 3:47
5 Be By Myself (feat. Cee-Lo) 4:23
6 She Don't Wanna Man 3:37
7 Sour Patch Kids 4:30
8 As I Em (feat. Chester French) 4:19
9 Lion's Roar (feat. New Kingdom & Busta Rhymes) 4:13
10 Bad Day (feat. Jazze Pha) 3:38
11 His Dream 4:36
12 Fallin' 4:03
13 Perfectionist (feat. Beanie Sigel & Rock City) 3:58
Release Date: 2009 | |
| | other reviews | scyther (3)
Don't hate, drink!... | Terron Moore (2.5)
OH MY GOD! DUDE! HE SAID COLLEGE! I'M IN COLLEGE! I'M TOTALLY BUYING THIS ALBUM!... |
On 2 Lists
|
| Summary: Less taste and texture than Wonderbread - continuously outshined by guest appearances and production. |
Mario Kart, munchies, Madden, suburbs, Sublime-posturing, pre-pubescent socio-political musings… Asleep in the Bread Aisle has all the ingredients for anthemic frat-party bro-hop. Raised in the suburbs (the far-outlying suburbs to be precise) of Philadelphia, Asher Roth paints a picture one would expect from homogeneous experiences and a biblically allusive name. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially when delving into the metaphysical or even the mildly interesting. Even then, some artists excel at making light, care-free party music – see pre-808’s/ Louis Vitton Kanye for a good example. The thing is, Roth tries to do both here – but is by no means a renaissance man; instead, he recreates the very essence of Wonderbread through music.
Some rappers excel with a sludgy, down-tempo flow (see personal favorite Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox), but the amateur inflection and lazy attitude prevailing throughout Bread Aisle really emphasize Roth’s inadequacy. Riveting lines such as "I am champ-i-on, at beer pong, Allen Iver-son, Hakeem Olaju-won" suggest a creative process involving 2 AM high freestyling. Speaking of “College”, he not only "can’t tell you what [he] learned from school" (to the tune of collegiate-mutated Weezer), but foolishly suggests over-contraception in the form of multiple condoms… bringing virginity status to question. Unfortunately, Roth has verses in follow-up “Bad Day” (Jazze Pha’s chorus really isn’t that bad); leaving a really uncomfortable plane ride "in need of weed and boxer briefs, but [his] bag’s only got maxis", one can only brace for the racism and misogyny to come at the end of the night in his hotel: "Right then there’s a knock at the door, it’s my last hope for a Spanish whore, who will change my sheets in exchange for penis. Jesus, this day is the worst." Jesus this song is the worst.
Rounding out the record with refuting comparison to Eminem (as if there was any question), an okay beat-and-hook in "Fallin" (but ruined by a Ben Kweller sample), and uninspired guest performances from Beanie Sigel and Busta (I don’t even remember what he said), Asher Roth’s pseudo-intellectual musing of “Sour Patch Kids” is truly memorable. Amidst an unfortunately Smashmouth-inspired, funk-rock-something beat, the fraternity audience is bombarded with generalities somewhat related to how the "poor get poorer, the rich just get richer." But most incredibly, Roth’s discussion on world hunger and civil unrest proves most amusing: "We go hungry in our own country, I wonder what it’s like living in Hungary… [blah blah]… streets turn to a game of rugby." I’m sorry Mr. Roth, but "Hungary" isn't the most convenient rhyme; living in Hungary isn’t that bad, and gang warfare isn’t like what you saw in “Gangs of New York” anymore.
Listen to the guest performances if you dare; just tune out the pedestrian rapping.
|
| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Im sure this is fucking awful, after hearing the single.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
This was released on 4/20, now isn't that hilarious
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music | | |
whoah man he sure is clever
album is probably fucking awful
| | |
all my friend's think 'i love college' is amazing & then wonder why i don't take their opinion on music seriously
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
i was so embarassed to have this in my last.fm, so i turned my scrobbler off and deleted the couple tracks i already scrobbled.
| | |
"Riveting lines such as "I am champ-i-on, at beer pong, Allen Iver-son, Hakeem Olaju-won" suggest a creative process involving 2 AM high freestyling"
i literally lol'd
last paragraph is hilarious too. nice review.
i read an article about this guy in rolling stone or some shi. he said
"my album is like an ipod shuffle. theres something in there for everybody"
the rs subscription is a gift from my grandma, btw. i read that shit for laughs.
Digging: Winter Resistance - Sleep In The White Blanket Digging: Winter Resistance - Sleep In The White Blanket
| | |
yeah this is terrible, excellent review, laughed at: "foolishly suggests over-contraception in the form of multiple condoms… bringing virginity status to question."
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
Asher Roth, you aint em's twin
yo shit dont even belong in the recycle bin
*click*
| | | Album Rating: 3
Blunt Cruisin', La Di Da, She Don't Wanna Man, As I Em, Lion's Roar, and Perfectionist are all great tracks. He's a very overrated lyricist, I think his performance on "The Greenhouse Effect" was much better, but still packed with pseudo-ironic one-liners. Amazing beats on this album, though.
| | |
i dont think anyones overrating this
| | |
Man, some of the lyrics you quoted here make me want to listen to this so I can get a few good laughs.
| | |
This sounds so bad I'm actually thinking about giving it a listen.
Digging: Beach House - Bloom
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
he's an okay lyricist, but this album is a massive sellout attempt. he gets so caught up in trying to be poppy that his serious stuff comes off as phoned in and ridiculous lyrically.
i completely disagree about the beats. it's like sublime, smashmouth, and the cheapest beats-maker ever got together and cobbled up some massively stupid reggae/rock/hop.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Give the dude a break...it's his first album, which was rushed by his label because they realized I Love College is the SHIT right now. Most of it is fun as hell, makes sense to release it on a day when nothing makes sense.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
i gave him a 1.5 over a 1, that's all the break asher roth gets. worst hiphop i've heard this year.
| | | Album Rating: 3
I'm going to counter this review in a couple days, and it's gonna be orgasmic.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off
not as orgasmic as asher roth's penis inside 2 condoms wtf
| | |
"[Asher Roth] is orgasmic."
-Scyther, 2009
| | |
i hate this guy
won't listen to this based on 3 songs i've heard
| | | Album Rating: 3
"Can i has reeding cumprenshin"
-kitsch, 2009
| | | |
|
|
Stumble
Digg
Twitter
Del.icio.us
