As I Em
Asher Roth Lyrics

Take me as I am my friends
I am who I am, and I won't change for anyone

Ain't gon' change, won't be no end
I have no plans to change myself, and there is no end to my journey

Write these songs, rock these shows
My passion in life is to write music and perform it live

Only good life I know
This is the only life I know, and I want to make the most of it doing what I love

I was in seventh grade when I heard the Slim Shady LP
I was introduced to Eminem's music at a young age

Yeah, my mom brought it down when I was ironin', irony
It's ironic that my mom introduced me to an artist known for controversial and explicit content while she was doing something as mundane as ironing

Gettin' out the wrinkles, just a little kid in middle school
I was just a regular kid in middle school

Sink my teeth in anythin' to think I'm cool, ridin' the bus
I was trying to find my identity and fit in with my peers, even while riding the school bus

I feel the rush from, I still don't give a fuck
I still get a thrill from listening to Eminem's music, even though I'm aware of its negative impact on my worldview

Yeah, I wish I could agree but I've already had enough
As much as I enjoy Eminem's music, I'm tired of being compared to him constantly

I've already given up from playin' the same game
I'm tired of being pigeonholed as an Eminem clone in the rap industry

Every interview, feel like I'm sayin' the same thing, like
In every interview I do, I feel like I'm constantly having to defend myself against the Eminem comparison

Em was great, yeah he paved the way for me
I acknowledge Eminem's influence on the rap industry and on me as an artist

He was inspiration for everybody from A to Z
Eminem inspired many people in the rap industry, including myself

But they keep relatin' me, I can' get away, chasin' me
I am constantly compared to Eminem and feel like I can't escape the shadow of his influence

All day long, I hear it, all day long
I can't escape the comparisons and criticisms, they follow me everywhere

And now the masters think that Asher wants to be a Marshall Mather's
The industry thinks I want to be like Eminem and take on his persona

They say Asher's not a rapper, na his ass is just an actor
Critics claim that I'm not a true rapper, I'm just acting like one

'Cause we have the same complexion and similar voice inflection
Critics compare me to Eminem based on our physical appearance and the sound of our voices

It's easy to see the pieces and the reach for that connection
It's easy for people to see the similarities between me and Eminem and assume a connection

Each second of every minute, each hour of everyday
The criticism and comparisons are present in every moment of my life

I'm constantly on defense defendin' my own name
I'm always having to defend myself and my music against criticism and comparison

Explainin' we're not the same
I have to constantly explain that I am not trying to imitate or copy Eminem's style

Not much that I can say, except I'm sick of it
There's not much I can do or say to change people's minds, and it's frustrating

Critics out only sparked up a flame, it's on
The criticism from critics has only fueled my passion and drive to succeed

Now don't get it twisted, I've definitely benefited
Despite the criticism, I have still benefited from the attention and exposure

It's so different, the image they don't get it
People don't understand my unique image and style

It's simple, I'm just a kid who wants to rap to make a livin'
At the end of the day, I'm just a kid who wants to make a living doing what I love, which is rapping

But each critics be pickin' apart my writings
Critics are always picking apart my lyrics and analyzing them

If it isn't up to par then Asher's Paul is just a gimmick
If my lyrics or music isn't deemed good enough by critics, they see me as just using my persona as a gimmick

Is it my fault, must I be more convincin'?
I wonder if it's my fault that people don't understand my style, or if I need to be more convincing

Y'all talk all you want, never halt me from my mission
No matter what critics or anyone says, I won't let it stop me from pursuing my passion

Use it as ammunition, would you please keep dissin' me?
I use the criticism from others as motivation and inspiration to continue making music

And yeah, the haters wanna hate because I made it and I'm famous
I know that people hate on me because of my success and fame

But until you take my place, you'll never know 'bout
Until someone experiences the same level of success as I have, they won't understand the challenges that come with it

What it takes to make a record for respect, take a second to inspect
Making a record that is respected by others takes a lot of hard work and dedication

When you look like someone else, then what the fuck do you expect?
Since I have been compared to Eminem, people automatically expect me to be like him or sound like him, which is not fair

I just want to be accepted as the illest in the game
I want to be recognized as a talented rapper and not constantly compared to others

But it's harder for an artist creatin' his own lane
It's difficult for me to create my own unique lane in the rap industry

That's anonymous with rhymin' and combine with perfect timin'
My style involves wordplay and timing, which is unique and not easily imitated

On the time that's now declinin' and about to explode, so hold on
I feel like my time is coming and my music is about to explode, so people should hold on and wait for what's to come

So fuck it that's all I got, there's nothin' else for me to say
At the end of the day, I have said all that needs to be said about my situation and struggles as an artist

If I don't confront the problem, it will never go away
If I don't address the issue of being compared to Eminem, it will continue to be a problem

Unless it is addressed there's nothin' left for me to do
Until I address the issue, I won't be able to move past it and continue growing as an artist

It's impossible rejectin' an elephant in the room
It's impossible to ignore a major issue, it has to be addressed head-on

Say goodbye to all the bullshit, notions preconceived
It's time to say goodbye to all the negative thoughts and preconceived notions about me as an artist

So long to all the blogs who coulda swore they knew me
I'm saying goodbye to all the blogs and people who have tried to define me without even knowing me personally

If you have no further questions and can't think of other thoughts
If there's nothing left to ask or say about me, then I want to introduce myself as Asher Paul Roth

Then I'd like to introduce you to Asher Paul Roth
I am introducing myself as Asher Paul Roth, not just a comparison to Eminem