DJ Skee and Whoo Kid present Will Roush: Know My Name

If Will Roush can blame anyone for keeping him down he could have a legitimate case against the white man. And by that I mean that Asher Roth. The same way Eminem made Bubba Sparxxx irrelevant (as did Bubba himself with his first video in the pig pen), Asher has taken shine away from Will. But Will being the ’09 Bubba has more to do with the Em/Ash factor. Like Sparxxx, he’s also a big burly white dude who pokes fun at his upbringing and personal life with witty and laugh provoking rhymes. The intro itself had me laughing my ass off, not to mention the comedic skits. But at the end of the day this is about the music, not the skits.

On the J. Dilla-produced, “What I Gotta Do Dilla?” he acknowledges his lack of time in the spotlight when he questioned, “What I gotta do to get a buzz? Get a beat from Dre and make a new “In Da Club?/ I’m a white Jewish kid/me beefin’ with the Bloods? I love Game and Wayne, Mack 10, what’s up?” Obviously this kid got balls (pause) cause me personally, I wouldn’t go around saying I’m Jewish with Mel Gibson still running loose.

He then got comedic with the self-deprecating “21st Birthday” saying lines like, “Running over benches/jumpin’ over fences/bumped into this guy going hard and relentless/backyard brawler beating this guy senseless/had the kind of punch that could end your life/he turned around it was Kimbo Slice! He said, ‘you wanna fight, boy?’ He threw a left and a right boy! I heard somebody say, ‘I got a thousand on the white boy!’ I don’t wanna squab/I don’t even try to act hard/heart pace pounding, getting’ chased around a backyard.”

In a way Will is in a class of his own. Not cause of the color of his skin, but because he doesn’t take himself too seriously which leads to rhymes that are funny, articulate and entertaining. Though his flow leaves much to be desired he was actually able to craft something that can be appreciated by certain hip-hop fans. Do I think Will can hold down a whole album? With his limited flow and invariable delivery, probably not. Though he’s an entertaining rapper with the rhymes and metaphors, at the end of the day he lacks substance. He’s not really taking the listener anywhere new under sun the way Em or even Bubba did (but who cared about life on a farm, really?).

He showed potential to think outside the comedic box for a sec on “Going On My Way” and “1 Of A Kind,” but ultimately it wasn’t enough to convince me that he’s there yet. To me he’s just an Okay rapper. He’s still early in the game so maybe he’ll take heed to my advice and take his lyrical game up a notch or two. With Ash already an afterthought in most people’s minds, this is Will’s chance to step up and step in on Roth’s fan base. Either that or be a stunt double for Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet. Whatever works best for dude…-The Infamous O

Hottest Joint: “1 Of A Kind”

Weakest Joint: “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (Yes, the Will Smith joint was used)