Asleep in the Bread Aisle ASHER ROTH   Label: SRC / Universal / Motwon Released: April 20, 2009 Reviewer: DJ Z Rating: 6 / 10 So here we have it. The debut from a middle-class white suburban hip hop head who grew up on Mos Def and Jay-Z in Pennsylvania, is signed to the biggest record company in the world, co-signed by DJ Drama, and has already appeared on the cover of XXL to kick the year off. Having initially caught our attention with his infamous A Milli and Roth Boys freestyles, the rookie MC has since notched up an impressive 42 million MySpace plays. However, what we don't actually get here is a straight-up hip hop album, and certainly not one that sits comfortably next to the current crop of stars. While this in itself is no bad thing - the idea of something different can often be refreshing - in this instance Roth's record doesn't quite hit the spot. Lead single I Love College is, by his own admission (read our interview HERE), not what he's all about (though blaming that old chestnut - "label pressure" - is lame). However, if its Top Ten sales position on iTunes is anything to go by, the plan and the formula is working. The classic MC Lyte-sampled intro raises hopes that are soon dashed by a Gym Class Heroes-style pedestrian beat and even lazier sounding "I'm so mashed" half-rapped, half-sung lyrical drool. We'd certainly have to agree that this is far from a high calibre showcase for a new talent. Other alternative/rock-leaning tracks like Blunt Cruisin' also purely aim to capture the essence of life on the US campus. Traditional college antics are all covered; be it smoking weed, hanging out, getting wasted, partying, women, etc. etc. etc. It soon becomes apparent that there is a prominent guitar line playing on the majority of tracks, more than hinting at the wider audience this album is targeting. These influences continue on She Don't Wanna Man, where Roth is again almost singing (think Good Charlotte style rock-lite, albeit with a female R&B hook), the Gnarls Barkley-soundalike "I'm happy being young, single & free" tale Be By Myself which actually features Cee-Lo himself, and the Jazze Pha-assisted Bad Day. Having said all that, there are a clutch of tracks that will appeal to a more traditional head-nod rap audience. Some decent wordplay is illustrated on cuts like La Di Da and the excellent mixshow joint (and recent HIPHOP.COM Latest Heater Playlist chart topper) Lark on My Go Cart, which features a quality beat from Oren Yoel and David Appleton, and is something you'd expect to hear on a retro boom-bap indie album.  Another good moment is Lion's Roar, where a double-time beat that wouldn't be out of place on an OutKast album is elevated (once again) by a show-stealing surprise guest appearance from Busta Rhymes. He deliberately acknowledges his vocal likeness to the elephant in the room and lays down his respect for Marshall Mathers on the intriguing track As I Em (while inadvertently making anyone over the age of 25 feel old when he describes being a kid when he first heard The Slim Shady LP), on which he also tries to illustrate how he aims to find his own lane. Which takes us back to where we came in. This album doesn't sound like much else around, but that doesn't necessarily make it an essential listen from start to end. If you like your hip hop with an alternative, college-campus edge, you're in luck; otherwise approach this set with caution. He may be the latest industry hype right now, but this record doesn't back up all the hoopla with substance.