Asher Roth -- Eminem's Replacement?

I tried to ignore this guy but I see day after day he gets more and more co-signs from credible figures in the Hiphop world.

But when I try to give the suburban Pennsylvania rapper an honest listen, all I can hear is an imitation Eminem.

And, as has been the case with all white rappers, when one dies down as Eminem has, the powers that be always find themselves a new one to promote as the next big sensation in rap.

Now, I'm not trying to say this guy Asher Roth is talentless, because his lyrics and rhymes are definitely clever and witty and punny and all that. BUT, I can name about 50 rappers from the hood who are all black with better rapping skills than Asher Roth. Why are those guys not getting any pres or being signed like Asher is or being embraced by big name rappers like Mos Def and Beanie Sigel and DJ Drama etc?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question.

This is far from a racist rant because, as cliche as it may sound, some of my favorite rappers are of the non-black variety. But this dude has to go!

It's just amazing to me how an original art form and culture founded and developed by black and brown folks can be infested with with racism and racist ideologies.

This guy sounds exactly like Eminem, from the nasally vocal inflections to the themes of his songs, and he's even gone on the record as saying he thinks Eminem is the best rapper of all time. But don't we already have an Eminem? Do we really need another one?

In some ways I guess this is similar to all the Jay-Z stans who do nothing but imitate Jay's flow, but still to me that seems different.

For one, Jay is and has been reigning on top of the rap world since he dropped Hard Knock Life in 1998. Eminem may have had the crown for a brief moment, but in the long run it's belonged to Jay for the past ten summers. So I understand all the fake Jays trying to sound like him.

But Eminem hasn't been hitting for at least the past five years. So why is it that this guy Asher Roth is trying to sound just like him? Can't he create his own lane? Why should we, the listeners, give this dude a listen when the real thing is already in existence, and has existed since Eminem dropped "My Name Is"?

Here's some video footage of both Asher Roth showcasing his rapping ability along side established rappers who appear to be co-signing the rapper's efforts.







Asher Roth and Beanie from Little Tank on Vimeo.

And let's not forget Asher's remake of Jay-Z's "Roc Boys," "Roth Boys":




Can anybody say gimmick?

This dude is about to get rich in a hurry unless Em comes out of his retirement and embarrasses this impostor for Hiphop's sake.