Asher Roth - "I Love College"

[mtm4319]

I found this on a Pulse thread, and I can't think of a time when a song pissed me off more the first time I heard it. I don't even need to explain why.



This is setting the bar awfully low for the worst song of 2009.

[Pipa]

Terrible sample.

[Mega248]

Yep, F[/color] sounds about right.

[a Nick O!]

I'm gonna hold off bashing the song for now. Yes, the Weezer sample gets under my skin because a) radio won't leave it alone, so I can barely stand to listen to it as is, and b) this was the Weezer video where they play hackey sack in the backyard, which plays right into the hands of this goddamn song.

Yet, looking beyond the song's instant familiarity (and obviously, this kind of thing will only be happening more and more as time goes on), it's not that awful otherwise. What sucks is that the whole MySpace generation is increasingly making music sound cheaper and cheaper and is largely producing a glut of novelty acts/songs. And the Eminem tone in his delivery doesn't help anything.

Yet Asher Roth is actually an MC MTV wrote up at the beginning of the year as one to watch for in '09, so I'm not gonna write him/this off just yet.

Heck, if you take this song as laboriously detailed satire which would obviously go over the heads of the mass audience (I can't see giving him that much credit, though) it's actually humorous.

Did I mention that I listened to the audio without watching this YouTube clip? I'm betting that helped me out a ton. Oh, and unfortunately I can see Alternative take to this one, due to the Weezer sample and its similar appeal as Rehab's "Sittin' at a Bar."

[mtm4319]

Feb 2, 2009 22:50:35 GMT -4 a Nick O! said:

Yet Asher Roth is actually an MC MTV wrote up at the beginning of the year as one to watch for in '09, so I'm not gonna write him/this off just yet.

Yeah, the thing about this song is that he's clearly more talented than that. I listened to a rap he did over the "A Milli" beat and it was actually pretty good.

Feb 2, 2009 22:50:35 GMT -4 a Nick O! said:

Heck, if you take this song as laboriously detailed satire which would obviously go over the heads of the mass audience (I can't see giving him that much credit, though) it's actually humorous.

That's the only thing that would save the song for me. But with it being my very first exposure to him, he just didn't have a shot.

Feb 2, 2009 22:50:35 GMT -4 a Nick O! said:

Did I mention that I listened to the audio without watching this YouTube clip? I'm betting that helped me out a ton.

Ehh, not really. It's not really a video, it's just pictures of drunk and/or passed-out people.

[a Nick O!]

Feb 3, 2009 1:52:20 GMT -4 mtm4319 said:

Ehh, not really. It's not really a video, it's just pictures of drunk and/or passed-out people.

No, I quickly realized that. Nevertheless...

[a Nick O!]

His Wikipedia page gives me more reason than ever not to judge him too quickly. In fact, I'm gonna go download his DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz mixtape ( ) right now.

[mtm4319]

Well, a week or two ago I listened to the song it again and still disliked it, but my blinding hate for it had lessened a bit.

Then I watched the official video. I couldn't get through the first 2 minutes before I clicked off.

Oh, and I've been searching for the best words to describe why I hate this song, and I think some others have written them for me:

(from the video link)

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rappervexx123 (1 hour ago)
pensburgh256 were not all uptight faggots with shit stuck up are ass like you and we would call that a good time get a life f***ing loser you probually the nerd who doesnt get invited to parties.

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GodmanDevil (18 minutes ago)
dude.. shut the fuck up and go try and get laid.. seriously.. you probably are just saying that.. cuz you never got invited to the partys!

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GodmanDevil (10 minutes ago)
i doubt you f***ing party... but what are you talking about over doing it?
i mean.. you only live once.. so get drunk and be someone.. doont be a bitch.. dont regret shit... and if shit hits the fan, step out of the way..

haha.. i am gunna go now.. i go no classes tomarrow.. s***s going down tonight!

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lostcausexx3 (42 minutes ago)
fck yu haters this song is fckin raw.. grow up nd stop wasting yur time hatin... this song is the sh!t.

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Plastic333 (37 minutes ago)
hahaha this song is amazing, its not saying thats all college is about its one view of it, get over it all u tight ass"s f***k go drink or take a toke

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GodmanDevil (15 minutes ago)

ight dudes.. check this shit out.. i love this song..

so if you dont.. thats fine.. but seriously... people.. this song is about drinking and having a good time... i know you guys probably just never got invited to those good times.. and you know.. what.. not my fault you are all that f***ing pathetic!

great drinking song !

---

And the rest of it... I'll admit... comes from my regret of never really experiencing the "college life" as it's portrayed here. Asher's lyrics strike a nerve with his specificity every few seconds, for one of three reasons:

1. He refers to an aspect of the "college life" that I disdain for myself (beer, beer pong, beer bongs, "sip Banker's Club and drink Miller Lite", and the abhorrent chants near the end: "CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG / FRESHMAN FRESHMAN FRESHMAN FRESHMAN / DO SOMETHIN CRAZY DO SOMETHIN CRAZY DO SOMETHIN CRAZY DO SOMETHIN CRAZY / KEGSTAND KEGSTAND KEGSTAND KEGSTAND").

2. He refers to an aspect of the "college life" that I personally would welcome, but have been painfully inept at achieving ("I danced my ass off and had this one girl completely naked", and the other lines about women in general).

3. The rest of it goes into the fact that all these descriptions are associated with college and not with just being young. Yes, "I Love Being Young" would never have been a song or a line in the chorus of a song... but then again, "I Love College" should never have been written, either.

[blahblahblah]

I don't hate this song, but it makes me feel even more bitter about being in the school I'm currently in.

But ew, Miller Lite?!

[friday]

Yeah, I feel it's fair to say his assessment of college life hasn't matched mine so far.

A group of us were driving up to the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY (somehow, among the 10 people in the van, I was the only guy who wanted to make the trip, besides the driver) and the van driver had Hot 97 on. I was stunned to hear this come on. Granted, it's not technically an urban station, but I've always regarded it as such, and while this is a rap song, it's not like this guy's Paul Wall.

[a Nick O!]

Mar 30, 2009 0:17:49 GMT -4 friday said:

I was stunned to hear this come on. Granted, it's not technically an urban station, but I've always regarded it as such.

Was it the "Say It Ain't So" version? Because it debuted on AT40 this week and had different music behind it.

[friday]

Mar 30, 2009 2:28:52 GMT -4 a Nick O! said:

Mar 30, 2009 0:17:49 GMT -4 friday said:

I was stunned to hear this come on. Granted, it's not technically an urban station, but I've always regarded it as such.

Was it the "Say It Ain't So" version? Because it debuted on AT40 this week and had different music behind it.

Yes it was. That's actually how I recognized it.