Customer Reviews

Asleep in the Bread Aisle

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

As with a lot of new artists now days it is difficult to pinpoint what sort of material to expect from them when all we hear is what the record label wants us to hear to obtain that first impression. Well, if you were one who was in the mixtape market you would know that Asher Roth dropped a mixtape last year with DJ Drama and DJ Cannon entitled "The Green House Effect." It is this mixtape where Asher attempted to get the respect to the true hip-hop heads. It showed that the dude can actually rhyme with skill and cleverness. "The Lounge" and "Start the Show" are two tracks from that mixtape that show a clearer picture of who he is as an artist than the single that came out for "Asleep in the Bread Aisle," which was "I Love College."

However, after you get through "I Love College" there are some very well put together songs that make up his official debut album. "Fallin'" is my favorite track on the album and shows Asher rhyme over a Nottz beat. Within this track he reminisces on how he found to love the art of hip-hop. I can relate a lot to this track. "His Dream" is another song which Asher sheds his reputation from "I Love College." In this track, he expresses how he was influenced by his dad, but took a different path because he was influenced by hip-hop more. Another great track.

From there though, the album goes back to play with some disposable songs which I think are more label influenced than Asher's own intentions. "Lark in My Go-Kart," "Bad Day," "Blunt Cruisin'," are all tracks specifically for the feel good audience. It will remind listeners of Eminem's own "comical" tracks which made up of most of Eminem's last album, "The Eminem Show."

And with all albums, there must be a club banger in there somewhere and that is where the "She Don't Want a Man" comes in. And actually, the song is not a bad song. It is probably the most radio/club friendly song on the album and will probably be an eventual single.

"As I Em" is a song directed directly to the critics who believe this young man is trying to take Eminem's fans. It is something that needs to be said by Asher to clear it all up. It's a good track.

All in all the album is not a bad album by any means. A lot of people will be turned off of Asher by getting the misconception that he is trying to take Eminem's spot. He is NOT Eminem. He will never be. He is still a great MC who will entertain you.

Best Tracks:

"Fallin'"
"Sour Patch Kids"
"His Dream"
"Be By Myself"
"As I Em"

im an 80's baby but i dont like the new music that is out. i be bumpin stuff like jay-z john legend even em because these songs out now has no meaning and the rhymes are trash but this cds is straight. got that back in the day feel to it and i can play it loud without ppl judging me like im a thug because i do my own thing while everyone copies each other so to me this is a great cd but maybe 2 songs are not for me.. i recommend... download though

not bad if you're young and like to get high listening to alternative rap this is right up your alley.

I finally got Time Warner Cable again a week or so ago and I caught the video for Asher Roth and Keri Hilson's "She Don't Wanna Man", and I was like, "THIS is what I've been missing?" ("Supa fresh/I would do me in a sec"? Please.) Still, I listened to Ash's album Asleep in the Bread Aisle.

The trouble Asher Roth has is -- and I tried very hard not to mention this -- he sounds a little TOO much like Eminem. But the problem THERE is that it sounds more like the comical style Em displayed early in his career, which isn't quite as accessible now as it was back then (how many songs from The Slim Shady LP do you think Em performs nowadays?). For the most part, Ash's rhymes are comedic, but they just aren't funny enough. This especially shows on the opening track "Lark on My Go-Kart"; and although "I Love College" became a runaway hit, ask any college student if they'd be caught dead playing that song (well, sober, anyway).

I didn't hear any of Ash's mixtape stuff, but people say he was more of a serious rapper then, and that would probably be better because the few times he's serious on HERE is when the decent songs come out, like the last two tracks ("His Dream" and "Fallin'"). The obligatory Jazze Phizzle productizzle "Bad Day" is passable, but "As I Em" (whose chorus is lifted from an old Joe Jackson song called "Geraldine and John"), the song where he tries to distance himself from Eminem, only comes off as okay. And Busta Rhymes' verse saves the metaphorically sexual "Lion's Roar", although I'm not exactly sure which part of his anatomy he's talking about (listen to the song to see what I mean).

Speaking of guest stars, Cee-Lo sings the chorus to "Be By Myself", which is an ode to the single life, but that song is pretty okay as well (come on; what grown man uses the word "boobies"?). Basically, it doesn't seem like Asleep in the Bread Aisle is SUPPOSED to be a serious album; still, it appears that even the crowd it's tailored for might be too old for it. If you think Gym Class Heroes and Shwayze's lyrics are gospel, then I guess you won't have a problem with this, but everyone else can do without it.

Anthony Rupert

While this CD isn't anything mind blowing it is a really Solid start and a breath of fresh air in terms of the garbage that's on the radio right now. It has a real old school hip hop feel in other words what hip hop should really be like today. He has a similar voice to Eminem but dnt let that fool you his songs and lyrics are simple but yet true to hip hop form. Grab this and you wont be disappointed but dont. expect anything mind blowing either its a really solid CD.

Top 3 Songs
His Dream(Great Lyrics)
Be By Myself
Fallin

As I'd expected, 'I Love College' was just a marketing trip to turn people on to the real bread and butter. 'Lark On My Go Kart' is nostalgic and fun as hell, 'Be By Myself' and 'Bad Day' are cool and unique, and 'His Dream' is as emotional a song as you'll find on a hip-hop album this year. And how perfect is the Ben Kweller sample at the end? A production masterpiece, as these are great songs overall. A very satisfactory record; if not for the innocuous 'Blunt Cruisin', I would've given this album 5 stars.

WHAT DO YOU CALL A CREW THAT CAN RAP LIKE THAT ...?
Yo NWA call 'em mf-ers wack..
[yeah you know what time it iz, listen to why we call 'em wack]

He's got a wacky wack record and a wacky wack crew
Yo what about the lyrics?
That's just wacky wack too
With a f'd up style and a f'd up show
Hey yo Ren, what about the scratchin', is it def?
F no!
The mf-ing' record is a mf-in' wack
The mf-n' cracka jack needs to step the f back ...

Have we really been so inundated with commercial club rap music that this is what people are turning to for good hip hop? While I do give this guy props for thinking outside of the box and breaking down barriers in rap music, I don't think that he is as talented as the masses claim.

Let me lay it out for you. He doesn't possess any of the traits that make for a great rapper. He does not have a good flow, his lyrics are too simple, and he lacks energy in his vocals. The way I see it, a rapper's voice is his instrument, and this dude equates to Jimi Hendrix playing a banjo.

I like the idea of what this guy wants to be, but honestly the album is just not worth listening to. I think that dude became popular before he had time to master his craft properly.

P.S. You want a white dude that makes original music? Look up Mac Lethal's Ashes to Ashley.

All you need to know about the debut album from Asher Roth, Asleep in the Bread Aisle is that instead of being released on the traditional Tuesday, it hit the shelves a day early on 4/20. Get it? If not, you may want skip the album. If you do, go straight to track number two, Blunt Passin'.

Despite that song and the special release date, the album isn't all about the sticky-icky. Roth attacks what he calls the elephant in the room in that he has the skin tone as Eminem on As I Em. But the thing about Marshall Mathers is that like many of the rappers before him is that he knew about the struggle, how it is to either get a record contract or not be able to feed his child. The suburban stories that Roth tells just don't carry the same weight. But Roth doesn't address the second elephant in the room in if he had an uncle named David Lee.

Bad Day (which doesn't sample Daniel Powder) is a boring romp that could have used some patented Eminem wit. Even Roth seems bored on the track. The ode to his father, His Dream, falls flat especially when you consider Kanye West showed us that songs dedicated to parental figures can avoid being cheesy and lame. And on Lion's Roar, Busta Rhymes does just that but Roth just whimpers in comparison.

Roth may not have the life experiences that make other rappers stars, but the few stories he has do make for decent songs. Most notable is I Love College which got reworked on the album after being unable to secure the Say it Ain't So sample (presumably Rivers Cuomo didn't want his family problems turn into a drunk frat boy anthem). But it is hard not to reminisce about those days on campus and sing along by the end of the song.

Asher's witty side does show up on the opening track Lark on My Go-Cart, an ode to Screech's favorite girl where he is able rhymes bumpkin with Tim Duncan all over a fuzzed out beat. Asher was able to clear a sample from Ben Kweller for Fallin' where he thinks back to his day in middle school which works much better then when he tries to sound like other rappers of the day. It is too bad Asleep in the Bread Aisle doesn't feature Roth Boys where Asher hijacks the Jay-Z beat because it would have been the second best track on this album.

I really tried to find some saving grace on this album, but I just couldn't. As I listened to track after track, I found myself going from wanting to turn it off, to wondering why I'm listening to it! Asher needs to cut away from Em, that's for sure! There's a market out there for his music; sure, but not if it's a rehashing of Em! He needs to find his own niche and stick there. All in all, I would say this album was a 1 star and this artist needs to play himself!!!!