Asher Roth - Y.O.U. ft. Slick Rick

Though a well-chosen, cleverly-employed snippet of some forgotten musical gem can elevate a good hip-hop record to masterpiece status, magical things can also happen when a beatsmith throws caution to the wind and simply grabs a sample from the most ridiculous LP in his collection… say, for instance, the soundtrack to 1965 Broadway flop Flora, the Red Menace (starring Liza Minelli!).  Nottz’ goofy as hell, maddeningly catchy boardwork may be the most striking thing about this unreleased cut (included as a bonus track on the U.K. iTunes version of Asleep In The Bread Aisle), but at the core of Y.O.U. lies some pretty sound advice: just be yourself!  Asher Roth‘s lyrical reflections on self-image are as agile, clever, and amiable as we’ve come to expect, but Slick Rick‘s contribution is what will have many coming back for a second and third listen—in his eloquent guest verse, the veteran emcee raps circles around Nottz’ beat without breaking a sweat.  Asleep in the Bread Aisle, released on 4/20, is available now in stores and online, and Booth readers will be able to hear Nathan S.‘s take on the LP this Thursday.