Asher Roth & Nottz

The appropriately named Rawth EP is a solid 30 minutes of hot rhymes and soulful beats from rapper/producer Nottz and ‘that other white rapper’ Asher Roth.

My personal hate for the phat boy antics of “I Love College” aside, I have to give Asher Roth credit as a consistent MC who has never failed to impress me since that first misstep. His Seared Foie Gras with Quince mixtape was an eye opener; it was exciting to hear him spit over classic beats like Madlib’s “Figure Four” and Just Blaze’s ‘C’mon Baby’. He is developing a sing-songy flow that is able to stay laid back even when his lyrics get dense. And he seems to have found his own lane, with motivational rhymes about escaping the rut of middle class life; staying interesting without pandering to his audience or fabricating a larger than life persona.

On the Rawth EP, Roth is supported by Nottz on the mic, and the duo make a formidable team. Nottz goes particularly hard on the standout track “Coming and Going”. As a producer, Nottz is criminally underrated, responsible for classics like Busta’s ‘Pass The Courvoisier’ and the Yeezy/Weezy banger “Barry Bonds.” On Rawth, Nottz delivers more of that same heat. None of these beats sound like the typical mixtape fodder, and not a single one lacks his signature soulful bounce. I slept on Nottz’s solo debut You Need This, but I’m compelled to go check it out now.

There are a few welcome but unnecessary guest appearances from Kardinal Offishall and Rhymefest, the later bringing some much needed heat to the aforementioned “Coming and Going”. Colin Monroe and D.A. of Chester French make forgettable appearances on “Dontcha Wanna Be (My Neighbor)” and “Gotta Get Up,” respectively. Overall, this is a solid EP from two consistently underrated artists that has me interested in hearing more from them together. If you still have your doubts about Mr. Roth, give him the benefit of the doubt and check this EP out.

-Benjamin Watson