Mic Navarro's Corner: Asher Roth - Retro Hash ALBUM REVIEW

If you haven't been properly introduced then allow me. Welcome to the official stoner era of hip hop. This new trend of mellow and trippy rap music has taken the game by storm. Not only from rappers who came into the game with this style but even rappers who normally don't do it are now dabbling into it. Case and point: Asher Roth. Okay...maybe Asher Roth doing this style of music isn't that much of a surprise. Especially for those that know him best. Debuting in 2009, the Internet was his biggest help at gaining notoriety. When he released his first ever single, the frat party anthem "I Love College", it became a huge Internet sensation before becoming big on the main airwaves. People loved it's catchy, witty and fun lyrics and just overall feel good party vibe. Still to some people he just looked like a nerdy college white boy rapping about well...nerdy college white boy stuff. Well as it turns out, despite a four year absence from the game, he's back with a new look and a new music style...somewhat. Here is his sophomore album Retro Hash. Now it's been five years (five years this month actually) since he dropped his debut Asleep In The Bread Aisle. One of my favorite albums from 2009. So with such a big gap between album releases, you knew there were gonna be some changes he would make to his music. His last album was a cool and fun college party album. Filled with fun, comedic and witty lyrics on various styles of production. A great debut for the type of artist he is and the kind of character he has. I really didn't know what to expect this time around from Asher. Especially considering how long of a wait this was for his second album. I said things might change and they did. As far as the theme goes, I thought this album was cool. I think if I was a smoker I would have enjoyed this much more than what I did. Basically because well...as mentioned...it's a stoner album. I mean it's defines it. A combination of calm, subtle and mellow instrumentals that gives that psychedelic or "trippy" sound. Even Asher's vocals when he singing just adds a more sorrowful and depressing like vibe to it. This is was nothing but a hip hop album for hippies. I mean just look at the album cover. Tell me that doesn't scream pot smoking hippy. In some ways, the album reminds me of a few other recent albums. From Mac Miller's Watching Movies With The Sound Off, to Kid Cudi's Indicud, even going a bit back further to Wiz Khalifa's debut Rolling Papers. It has a few elements from those projects. There also seems to be plenty of experimenting done on here too which is something else I didn't really expect to see from him. Well now let me fully break down the album. As always I'll start with positives. The album started off cool with the intro track "Party At The Disco". This I think was the only song on the album that presented the same vibe that was on his last album. He sings his own hook which wasn't great but still kinda catch and cool. He also gets assistance from ZZ Ward who sings on the hook with him. Her vocals sounded very Erykah Badu/Amy Winehouse like which was cool too. The next track "Dude" was also pretty dope. I loved the throwback drum patterns on the beat. Blended Babies, who produced the whole album, did a good job experimenting with these different psychedelic sounds that fit Asher the best. He begins this track in typical nerd/stoner fashion: "chilling in some shorts/sipping on a cold one sitting on the porch/only chop sticks I don't never use a fork/go for it little dork don't you know I'm that dude". The track features Curren$y who normally I'm not really a fan of but he was cool here. Dope song. Now like I said, Asher's singing isn't that good but man is it catchy. This is the case on the second single "Fast Life". The hook is incredibly catchy. But the song's meaning and story being told is what I enjoyed the most. In short he just talks about a situation where someone, in this case a young girl, is getting caught up in the fast life. Vic Mensa drops a decent guest verse on here as well. "Pull It" had a sound that sounded like something right up Kid Cudi's alley as far as his sped up flow and the production. This too was very catchy hook wise and the singing still, while not excellent, was feasible. I'm kinda on the fence with "Last Of The Flohicans". Lyrically this may be the best song on the album. Asher was spitting his hardest on this track more than the others. But for me the hook by Major Myjah was just iffy. I don't know. It may have to grow on me but right now I'm not too sure about it. There were only a few songs I had problem with. The first single "Tangerine Girl" was just not for me at all. Now I've been giving him props for his singing attempts but here he sings the whole song and it's just bad to me. It sounds like one of those vintage 60's/70's hippy pop songs. Especially within the hook. I can see people liking this but I don't think it's for me. The last three tracks didn't set too well with me either. "Be Right" had another questionable hook. I feel the same way about this that I do about "Last Of The Flohicans". It might grow on me but I'm not sure. Then "Pot Of Gold" and "Keep Smoking" I just wasn't feeling. The production on "Pot Of Gold" I wasn't feeling at all. Nor the hook where Asher just sounds half sleep. Or...he might be high? Then "Keep Smoking", although a perfect way to end the album, was way too slow and mellow for me. To the point where I fell asleep on it while listening. Well in the end, I thought the album for what it was was pretty good. Even though I'm not a smoker I still liked this. So I truly don't see how an actual stoner could not like this album. This is for them. I give this a final grade of a B-. It seems that Asher Roth may be embracing a new persona. He's went from the nerdy college white boy to hip hop's new resident hippy. This new stoner era I can see is only gonna grow stronger. At a time where marijuana is starting to be legalized everywhere, it's perfect timing for this new trend in hip hop to take off. So to all you stoners, kick back, roll one up, and enjoy the psychedelic ride. End.

Final Grade: B-