Hip-Hop Island

He's a skinny, white guy from Philadelphia who dropped a one hundred fifty bar freestyle for Jay-Z right on the spot, and now he gives us a full volume of Hip-Hop fun on his mixtape The Greenhouse Effect Vol I (SRC). Roth's quick rhymes and clever wit over party beats is a throwback to the days when Rap was all about dope music.

His charismatic diss lyrics and frat boy sense of humor are similar to an early, less angry Eminem. He raps over everything from Jay-Z and Timbaland to Britney Spears and John Mayer – the Roth boys are about bringing good times back to Hip-Hop.

Asher and his college buddies form the Roth Boys crew and introduce themselves on "Roth Boys" – a remix of Jay-Z's "Roc Boys." "Jay passed over me for Pittsburg Slim / But in the end, I am kickin' it with Steve Rifkind / Enough said, well expect, Hey yo Steve, do you have enough bread? / La Heim, that's more like it, but what do I know I'm just a white kid." Roth's still a college kid at heart with sex anthems like "Morning Do" and "Rub On Your T*tties" that could get any drunk girl grinding with Solo cups in the air.

Dance tracks "Demonic" and "Gimme Your Box" twist up Britney favorites "Break The Ice" and "Gimme More," respectively, as Roth and crew take shots at the pop tart. Roth's Greenhouse Effect is the soundtrack to any kegger, but weak production and overly thoughtful lyrics on "Dey Know Asher" and "Stop Waiting On The World To Change" can be a buzz kill.

Granted every party must come to an end, Roth still gives his best on this mixtape. His ego mania taints every track as his rhymes of greatness border on overkill. But Roth gives you exactly what you would expect from a college loving, party animal living it up with his best friends: party music to drink, and dance to. Roth and his boys may not change Hip-Hop, but they'll sure as hell have fun with it.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/07/14/20290802.aspx