Philly’s Lil Dicky takes the internet by storm with hilarious “Ex-Boyfriend” (and debut mixtape “So Hard”)

Literally three days ago a relative unknown white Jewish rapper out of Philadelphia who goes by the name of Lil Dicky dropped a video on Youtube that pretty much exploded the internet. “Ex-Boyfriend” already has well over a million views and is an absolutely perfect party sensation. So why are people going crazy for this? For many, very good reasons. The song and video is hysterical – a humor filled look at how one feels when they meet a current significant other’s ex and they are absolutely stunningly perfect. And Lil Dicky is self deprecating in the most perfect kind of way – he’s goofy and totally unashamed of it. But is he more than just a one internet wonder? I think so, and I’ll get into why. But first – if you haven’t seen the video yet, do yourself a favor and watch it right now below.

It’s really nice to see this kind of talent get this kind of response from the masses. And though he might draw comparisons with another white jewish rapper out of Philly (Asher Roth, anyone?), he maintains a certain unkempt originality that will help him stand out as an artist. It’ll be really interesting to see what comes next, as he’s announced he’ll be releasing new videos on Youtube every Wednesday.

In addition to “Ex-Boyfriend”, Lil Dicky has released a mixtape, So Hard (with a cover shot of him surrounded by a star of David in flames, naturally). The mixtape is well put together, with nice beats, and funny jams (like my already personal favorite “Club Night”). And the mixtape showcases Lil Dicky’s RIDICULOUS flow. He goes double time, like basically all the time. Check out the last song on the album, “Bars” for a good example. When the heck does he breathe?! Pretty much every song is a blend of quick, clever and silly, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable album (though I should warn you that he does talk a strangely large amount about penis…). Stream the entire mixtape below.

Asher Roth stays fresh in mind with new track “Wrestling Is Fake”

First, it was changing the name of the album from The Spaghetti Tree to Is This Too Orange? Then, in October, he decided that name wouldn’t work due to it’s similarity to Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, and removed it as a sign of respect. This battle with the sophomore album has been ongoing with Asher Roth, but every time I think he’s disappeared off the face of the rapscape, he magically appears with new music. And with the continuing rumors that his sophomore album might actually finally be coming to fruition this January, this little drop of lyrical goodness is another quick hit that will keep me on the Roth pipe, waiting for that big rush in a couple months. “Wrestling is Fake” is a quick two and a half minutes of what sounds like one big freestyle. Asher hardly takes a breath, spitting line after line with his signature style. The beat is the perfect match for Asher’s quick flow – a simple fuzzy bass guitar and drum rhythm that maintains it’s pace while throwing in little surprises. Enjoy below, and keep your ears up for signs of that new album in the horizon!

Asher Roth is ready to “Turnip the Beet”, then relax “Outside” and check out the “Good Morning View”

With sophomore LP Is This Too Orange hopefully around the corner, Asher Roth is dropping some great new teaser tunes (all which are rumored to be on the new record). “Turnip the Beet” is one of his latest, and if it’s what we have to look forward to on the new album, I’m definitely excited. Asher spits a solid 2 minute flow over a steady, vintage hip hop rhythm. He gets back to what he does so well, spitting crafty lyrical flow that’s a stream of consciousness slightly hard to decipher maze, but it fits together just in that special right away that only Asher can do. I’m loving the flow and the beat – his single “Party Girl” was more radio friendly, but this piece better showcases his skills.

“Boom, bap, Original rap” is the tag line, and it’s pretty on point. 

Other songs have been sprouting up in the last month too that I’ve not mentioned here on HotW. Two others are worth mentioning – both are full of extremely positive vibes and feeling, and are great for these stupid hot and sticky summer days when it’s too hot to move. They nicely encompass Asher’s super chill sound. Grab a lemonade (spiked or regular, your choice), some watermelon and a hammock, and enjoy “Outside” and “Good Morning View”.

Asher Roth releases summertime jam “Party Girl” from new album

Asher Roth has definitely not forgotten how to party. With his long in progress sophomore album, Is This too Orange?, finally looking like it’ll be released (sometime this year), he’s got hype to build. The first single, “Party Girl” should go a long way towards doing that. With a killer beat that feels modern yet old school and super catchy chorus refrain, Asher teams up with Meek Mill to describe a girl who is so good at partying that he can’t keep up. Although this topic is a bit fluffy compared to his previous releases “Last Man Standing” and “G.R.I.N.D.”, Asher’s wordsmithery shine in his verses for a thoroughly enjoyable romp. And though some might critique the somewhat frivolous topic like they did with Asleep In The Bread Aisle, I think fun rap has just as important a place in music as the more poignant, and Asher’s always been a party guy, so why not embrace it on occasion? The one down spot of the song for me is Meek Mill’s verse, which seems a little weak, but it may just be that it can’t quite match the smoother word play by Asher.

If the new album has a good combo of fun party songs like this and more serious ones like the aforementioned, I think it’s safe to say that Asher may be putting together a nice bit of music.

Asher Roth – Party Girl