The album has seventeen song--did you work on this sequentially? How did you land on twelve? When you work with a tight crew, it's sometimes easier to agree. You're together for the whole process Roth: Yeah, it's just Rob and I.
I'm still really interested in writing for other people, there are these joints where here's the lyrics, and the track and it's really dope, but there's just somebody else it's for. I have a little folder that's "for somebody else" Int: That's for you, bro! Some of the best work is what people do for themselves, they get into. Like look at what Tyler is doing in the last few years. The last record, a lot of that content was for other people, but no one would take it. He had to do it for himself, you know?
That's a big moment. Roth: It's true, man. Just finding those sweet spots, and timing. To not be too close tot he music. Let it be what it is. Int: How much of it is a broader thing, an industry thing, versus you and your fans?
Roth: A lot of it. In music and art in general you need a lot of tortured souls. People that are going through it. I went on an autobiography kick, I needed some light reading, I was on a mythology kick and philosophy and all this jazz. So I needed some light reading. I'm fresh off of Andre Agassi's autobiography. I read the Rock's autobiography for a while. The Bourdain stuff is interesting because he talks about cooks. The people that the culinary attracts, these pirate types.
In the same way, it's like our most revered artists are miserable, completely tortured, and luckily for me, I come from a good family, my parents are still together, I had a relatively stable upbringing. So I've had to find my art more so through observation than through confession.
That might not always be avant garde but it's honest. Taking a role as a commentator, not just on how I'm feeling in these dark dimensions that borders on schizophrenia. Int: I think the ambition of an artist is suggested to be demanded.
It's not necessary, that's just a romantic notion, I think. Roth: That's true, and we get that projected onto us, that kind of imposter syndrome I think is more popular than led to believe. I think a lot of people feel they're not any good at what they do even though they're doing it. It's asked of us to go in, and I think that's a really hard thing to do. It's guinea work to really go in. WE spend a lot if not all of our time distracting ourselves.
Int: I hear that. Roth: It's tricky man. And then you're a white dude in that, and what am I doing with my life? And then you get older, and youre' talking about security and safety. Int: You don't get the same kind of attention. Roth: Yeah you have thoughts, you're responsible for other people. It's not meant to be complicated, but it can be. It's strange, to this day, I don't know if I classify myself as an artist or as a rapper.
Int: Is there a difference? With a writer, it's more of a conflation, maybe. Listening to all these records, and in my experience as sahip hip fan, I've seen so many styles come and go, like with painting.
The way it's classified and historiographed, there have ben movements. I don't know what we call what you've been or continue to be part of, but I do think it's important to allow yourself to be elevated and denigrated in that way. Artists are nasty people in their own right. Roth: Seriously, such a competitive world.
Just because you write a book, are you a writer? Yes, but once you're in that world, no you're not. Int: How does a writer carry themselves constantly, consistently? Roth: I guess they just write all the time. Int: Does a rapper rap all the time? Roth: Exactly. It's another thing that lends itself to me.
I'm not obsessed with making music in general. It's very fluid, almost seasonal. I don't spend all my time, eight or ten hours a day in a studio, which is what's promoted. No sleep, grind all the time. I think there's some truth to the pau off, but there are other elements to myself as a human being. I remember that kind fo early speech they give you in your initiation in the music business, is do this now so you can retire at 35 Int: now I think you're in a position to make so much money, I don't want to pry, but there's a heavy conversation in your catalog about choices you made not for your money, but for your soul.
Roth: Dude, I can't tell you even. Int: As far as the band of outsiders thing goes, you have these tapes that feature a lot of people. There's a camaraderie I feel you chose over certain pop decisions you could ahve made or business deals you could have made.
Roth: You nailed it, it's hard to get into the soul side of things. It's a mentality. I think there's a lot of duelding forces, pros and cons to everything. Obviously financial security frees up a lot of stuff but if I was retiring from creativity at 35 to play dominoes and smoke cigars I'd feel like I beat the game way too early.
Positioning myself to have those communcial rewards, shared experiences, so I went ath route. Our art form is validated by outside influences through those numbers, which can be manipulated. And people know about algorithms and if you're part of that world you know somebody else is getting paid off of what you're doing.
I've been stubborn about going it by myself. From a business standpoint I wanted to know who I was really speaking to. Instead of , views week one and not really understanding that , might not even be fans of my stuff.
I'm still ambitious. I'm still competitive, and I want people to know the work we're doing is professional, but when you're not doing those numbers, unfortunately the business I'm in just doesn't pay attention.
Int: You say you don't work in the studio ten hours a day noq, but did you before? Roth: Yeah, and the studio should be a place that's safe. I remember going to the studio to record that song that Sammy Adams did called Sunset Boulevard written by Ryan Tedder, this no brainer smash record, and it was just work. Int: Commissioned vs. Conscious work. Roth: Yes! When you work with people you don't love, you end up so tired. When you work with people who invigorate you, it's so fulfilling.
I didn't sign the best recording contact--we all have those horror stories--but I was lucky not to have gone down the road too far.
Int: Even down to the making fo your product, you don't have to do as much to make it anymore, right? Living in a world where what you see is what you get. Roth: It's so bizarre. I couldn't imagine singing a song I didn't write for the rest of my life. It means nothing to you other than a business move. It's like agreek mythological punishment. Int: Are you signed to a major label now? Beholden to any multi year plan? Roth: No, no manager, no publicist, but keep in mind, we still have to keep the lights on.
There needs to eb some level of structure to be in the business of music. If I'm just going to release music for the hell of it, I've set the foundation for it. At the same time, I don't own a home, I rent, I still have bills to pay, and you're not going to do that off Spotify money. The music business is changing, the digital experience, the pandemic.
If you can't go to a show for another two years, will you pay to stream the show? Int: That sounds strangely appealing, but there is a market for something like onlyfans, right?
A market for different types of work. Roth: People are literally streaming themselves eating for fifteen hours a day. And they're getting paid, but for me, I'm a little old school. I'm not prepared to stream myself for 8 or 9 hours a day. To let people into my day. Int: Like us trying to get this recording going. My idea of this next generation, the future of entertainment is this streaming thing. Every moment on record. Everything used against us, guilt and shame, it's for the birds at this point.
We have instant replay on life now. Roth: I'm not going. It's like Mars, everyone wants to go to Mars, and it's like, motherfucker, earth is amazing, why do you want to go to Mars? No one wants to fix the old. I'm a little nervous where that's going.
So I've set myself up to do it at my pace. Rather than the industry making decisions for me. Relationships are all we got. Entertainment in general is so self absorbed. You feel like you're important, like what you do matters, in a way that's really polluting. I'm an eternal optimist, and I think there's been a lot of good to come out of things right now. Where, hold up, one second, we finally got to a place where we can breathe. There's so much positive in that. We're looking at everything.
Defund the police, right? Get rid of that, get rid of this, it's a matter of if we're going to do the work now and fix what's broken, or just plow ahead and keep it moving. We;ve been talking about social inequality since , about the wealth gap, for a decade. All I'm here for is just to have these conversations.
It's not about right or wrong, it's about productive fun. For someone to disregard all that we do, for the sake of clicks--not for nothing--people want to see a good old witch burn at the stake. It doesn't help in having a healthy discourse.
Int: Like what is the assignment wasn't to review Asher Roth's new record? It was, learn how to love this album, no matter how hard that is for you? What's that journey? Roth: I get it, I'm a white male in rap music, I'm gonna get roasted from all directions. You mentioned the album breathes well. I talk about breathing right off the jump. I get stressed out. Some of the things I use when I get stressed out are breaths.
Hopefully, this music allows people to sit down, not pace around, and just take a breather. Hopefully, this music is a time out. Not for nothing, I have stress from what people pegged me as from my earlier stuff, 10, 12 years ago. Hopefully, other people listen to it and feel like they can do the same thing. I am happy—thank you. A lot of older people in my life remind me happiness is a mindset that takes a lot of work… A lot of us are going through it. You see it with these alarming statistics about mental health and how important it is for us to be with each other.
We need each other. Listen to Asher Roth on Audiomack. Asher Roth gets real about moving home, helping others and finding happiness. Best Of. Year of Mac. Pro Audio. Home Features Interviews. By Donna-Claire Chesman. By Audiomack. Join Songkick to track Asher Roth and get concert alerts when they play near you.
View all past concerts. In , Asher Roth made going to college a popular thing, but not for the usual reasons. Literally the whole song is about partying in a college setting, and how is that not appealing to tons of people.
He had just signed with a new label, Def Jam, and was gearing up a lot of new songs. For a Def Jam showcase, Asher Roth did the best possible show and really illustrated how good of a move to a different label will do him and his fans. Read more. Report as inappropriate. See all photos 1. See all posters Want to see Asher Roth in concert? Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track Asher Roth and get concert alerts when they play near you, like other Asher Roth fans.
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