PFOP Exclusive Interview: Asher Roth

Yea. Asher Roth you guys. PFOP exclusive interview by yours truly. I’m sure you’ve heard of the dude. The obvious Eminem comparisons and what not. But once you listen to the music, you recognize originality. All in all, Asher is an all around cool dude who you can relate to on a realistic level. Another one of my favorite up-and-comers bringing originality and a different perspective to the game. Get to know Asher Roth.

MoShadee: Let’s begin. What’s new with you?

Asher: Honestly, I just turned 2-3. It’s like my rookie season, I really feel like that. It’s like, twenty one you’re allowed to drink legally so you kind of go through that while you’re pretty much still in college. Twenty two you have that year under your belt and you think you know everything but you really have no idea. Twenty three is like that rookie year, what are you going to do with yourself? How are you gonna prove yourself in the world. And that’s kinda where I’m at right now man. It’s really just take control of my life.

MoShadee: “I love College” recently Leaked on the internet. How do you feel about that? It seems to be based off real experience.

Asher: Everything from that was derived from a real experience. That’s how I like to go for all my music. I mean it’s always cool to flip into character and talk about something you really don’t know, but I think the best and good honest music is stuff you really lived and could speak from experience. I think that “I Love College” record was really dope, because if you listen to the “Green House Effect” there’s a lot of showcase of lyricism, but that was the song that I really wanted people to know so that when I performed they knew all the words. So they could understand so it could touch them, because not everybody knows what the word “circumvent” means and stuff like that. I really wanted to keep it simple and I think we accomplished what we wanted to accomplish with that and people are starting to understand who I am as an artist through that record.

MoShadee: So is there a video in works?

Asher: Aww c’mon man, you know it’s a visual world. You wanna be in it?

MoShadee: Of course! PFOP would be down to support that. A majority of us go to Boston University and they totally relate to the music. They were saying, “Oh Yeah! Ask him about beer pong. What’s his highest score in Pong?” and things like that.

Asher: My highest score in beer pong…I went 13-0 on Jungle juice…that was WAAAAACK. It was bad news, but I’m still here *Laughs*. It was funny man, cause we got a couple videos of me playing Who-Kid in beer pong. Then a video of me in the studio showing a buddy of mine how to play beer bong.

MoShadee: How was it spitting for Jay-Z?

Asher: It was funny cause I didn’t really know I was rapping for Jay. I thought I was just rapping for my friend over at Def Jam. I automatically- I mean you don’t think you’re going to be rapping for the biggest rap star on the planet- Oh I’m just gonna rap for some female interns. It’s like if the girls like you you’re in. I’m clearing my throat and turned a hard right right into Jay’s office and he’s just glowing, he’s got this aura. I just turned, and left the room. I turned around was like, “Oh shit…” cause I’m a big Jay fan too, man. I grew up listening to him, “Volume 2″ was the first rap album I ever bought. That’s how late I got into it, ‘98. Rapping for him cool, you really just want him to give you the approve. He crossed his arms and sized me up, and said, “You’re really really nice and talented.”

MoShadee: How did you hook up with Don Cannon and Drama?

Asher: Well Cannon used to DJ college parties back in the day. And they had almost a sort of college relationship. Once I came up here, I was linkin’ up with everybody. I met up with Cannon and just hit it off. He’s a real funny dude, a sports fan and we just talked about everything besides music. Then he heard what I did and he respects what I did and I respect what he did and with the whole PA thing and just being good people. *Dog Barks In The Background* Hey! You serious? Stop barking dude go lay down. Sorry. Damn man, dog was just freaking out for no reason.

MoShadee: You come off as a real humble dude, and yet you came out of the blue, like out of nowhere. How do you feel about that?

Asher: It’s crazy man, because like today was my birthday and today on Facebook I got like a 165 new notifications. You know what’s great about this, man, is that really I set a goal for myself and I don’t care if people think I’m a good rapper, I want people to think I’m a good person. People will be: “Ah whatever Asher’s music’s cool but I think he’s a great dude.” I feel like I’ve been fighting an uphill battle and it’s been really tough on me because there’s a lot of stuff I’ve been trying to accomplish on the music side of things. Today it really brought to light the people saying, “Man, Asher we appreciate the things you’re doing.” On a humanistic level, for who you are as a person, it’s meant so much and it’s all just started and it’s the really early stages.

MoShadee: You’re working on another mixtape coming up soon right?

Asher: Yeah man, I try to keep a lot of projects. I want to keep everybody entertained. I’m going to keep doing the YouTube journal and this music is going to humanize me, it’s not going to put me on a pedestal. People aren’t going to be like, “Oh Asher’s this great guy but we can’t relate to him.” They’re gonna be like “Asher’s just like me.”

MoShadee: That’s what we all get from you’re music, that you’re really relatable. That you’re really touching everybody.

Asher: Yeah, and that’s what’s so important for me. *Dog Barks* It’s great because it’s really early on and I’m still finding who I am. *Dog Barks Again* It must be something about mixtapes. Gotta be something about mixtapes.*Barks Again* Alright Man, the dog is starting to freak out right now.

MoShadee: Although you’re style is much different than his, the obvious comparison to you is Eminem. How do you feel about that?

respect for him. Without

Asher: How easy is that comparison? A white rapper. If you said, “Name me a white rapper” I guarantee everybody would say Eminem.To me it’s flattering, because at the end of the day Eminem is the top selling rapper of all time and if I’m going to be compared to anybody, word up, compare me to the top selling rapper of all time. But like you said, once you start looking at my image, my content, MY WORLD is completely different than Em’s. I got nothing but the utmostEminem, I DO NOT EXIST, you know what I mean. So I have nothing but respect for what he’s done, and contributed for Hip-Hop. It’s an uphill battle just because of my skin tone and my voice might sound similar at time but I’m just a white kid influenced by Hip-Hop and that’s really how it is.

MoShadee: So what is your wildest story from college?

Asher: Damn…let me think…*Brief Pause* We had a truck, early on, I’m talking an old truck. With promotional Asher Roth stuff. This is early on, and this was an old truck, like you could find for 200 bucks in the junk yard. So, it’s homecoming and we are driving around Westchester, everybody’s drunk and we just start throwing a party in the middle of the street. People are dancing on the truck on the roof and on the street. Finally the cops had to like shut us down.

MoShadee: So you just turned 2-3 today, What are your plans for today?

Asher: I’m trying to get this Cannon record done, man. I got a classic, it’s got that classic 98 Hip-Hop sound and that’s what I’m trying to accomplish. So that it has a really organic sound but not sound dated. You know what I mean? Cannon and I have been working together he’s starting to understand just how I am and what kind of music we have to make. So if I can get that knocked out it could be a nice present for me, cause whenever I can write a song it’s always a nice little gift to go perform it. I might just go have a little dinner with friends get a drink or something, burn something down and get back to business. Man, every day’s my birthday.

MoShadee: So what’s up with you’re album, where you going with the production?

and Mikey Rocks out in Chicago, I’m going down to Virginia to work stuff out. I’m not going to be this POP act, but at the same time POP is short for Popular. I mean I’m not like raw but at the same time I’m not this candy coated act. It’s going to be a popular CD, people of all ages, of all walks of life are really going to listen to this and be like, “Damn man, I like classic rock but this album is the shit.” Or “Damn, I like west coast heavy bass shit but this album is the shit.” I mean I’m influenced by jazz, I’m influenced by classic rock, I’m influenced by Hip-Hop, I’m influenced by all genre’s of music and I’m really trying to

Asher: I will be honest with you man, labels and the industry have been playing it really safe. Actually, producers have become almost like George Bush and the oil. Those producers have come out the big winners just like the big oil companies came out the winners from this war. I really don’t need to blow my budget for a Timbaland beat. I’m really about players and not about names. I got this great kid, 25 years old, out in LA and we make incredible music together. I mean I don’t care where you’re from, what your name is but if you make dope music you make dope music. I mean, of course, since it’s a game and a business you have to put a name on there that people recognize. I mean I am doing songs with Akon and with The Cool Kids, Chuck Inglish hip-hop incorporate that into my feel. The album isn’t going to be a bunch of songs, that’s all day, I did that on the mixtape. Rap on a bunch of rap beats. This album-this phrase has been overused but-this album is a motion picture. This album is a movie. The opening of the album is me waking up and the closing of the album is an end scene. There’s dialogue, it’s very scenic it’s a very visual album. I’m excited cause I think it’s going to set the standard , and it’s gonna raise the bar to force people to be creative again. And that’s what’s been lacking, because people have been scared to do something new. They don’t want to like something that’s new, so they continue to do what works: “Oh that works let’s do that again.” It’s gotten to an age, I mean it shows with Obama. People just want honesty and they want change. It’s metaphorical with what’s going on with the United States right now. There’s a shift of movement and a shift in power and it’s what I’m trying to bring out with this album.

MoShadee: We are definitely looking forward to album. What date are you looking at?

Asher: It’s looking like February, which means there’s going to be plenty of time, but there’s going to be projects in between to make sure I don’t go stale.

MoShadee: On a closing note, where are you going to be for performances, concerts, or tour?

Asher: On the 22nd and 23 (of August) I’ll be performing for my friends out in Colorado. Colorado is a good place to start this whole daily kush thing. *Laughs* Colorado has got some good stuff. I am going to be doing their freshman orientation. I want it to be something I’m proud of, my live show. I want to be known as one of the livest touring acts that’s ever come about.

MoShadee: Thanks for giving us the opportunity with the interview. Taking time out your busy schedule.

Asher: Nah man, not a problem because without you guys I’m nothing, just another microscopic organism on this planet. I appreciate you guys reaching out.

MoShadee: Any last words?

Asher: Umm, nothing but love, and unending thanks to all my friends, family, and fans who have really been there because, like I said, without you guys I’m nothing. Thanks again we’ll be talking real soon.