Weezer Hates Asher Roth.
Okay, maybe i’m exaggerating a little bit. Let me explain.
As I was avoiding my grandparents during post Turkey eating festivities yesterday, I hit up Myspace to see how many groupies we’re hurting for a squirting. I was very happy to see that the homie Asher Roth was featured on the front page of MySpace, promoting his single ‘I Love College’. Naturally I clicked the link just for kicks, to be surprised by hearing a new rendition of said track. The infamous Weezer sample, that many stated made the song what it was, has now been replaced from the original track. A new version of the beat, of equal or greater dopeness, has been stuck in where Weezer’s guitars once were. Baffled, I hit the internets to do some research.
Scooter Braun informed me that after approaching Weezer to clear the sample, the band denied all requests, no matter what was offered. Publishing, money, everything. ‘No, no, no’ said the band. This struck me by surpise. Why would a band deny money over a sample? Especially a band like Weezer who is known for being open to many different styles?
It was then brought to my attention that Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of Weezer, had previously asked fans to “help” him work on music for the band. So this guy has the gall to refuse to let other people use his music, even for money, yet previously has asked for others work? Can someone explain to me how that makes sense?
I’m not sure if Weezer hates Asher Roth, hip-hop, sampling, or what. I do know that they made a big mistake. Pardon my rambling, I just felt like expressing my thoughts to you, reader.
Be sure to state your opinion on this situation below.
BONUS: Asher Roth Vs. Weezer – Reading In Beverly Hills [WaxxMix]
November 28th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Fuck weezer.
Weak ass motherfuckers.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
i agree with with slake, fuck weezer, ash roth will do it big without there weak sample anyways
November 28th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
i like the new version better
November 28th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Yeah, the original was “just alright for me, dog”-Randy Jackson. People that are into Weezer & also into hip-hop just liked the novelty of it, I think. Haven’t listened to this other one yet but the old one wasn’t anything special just cuz of the Weezer sample.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Didn’t hear the new one but I think people that are in to Weezer & hip-hop, too, just liked the whole novelty of it & the “coming together of their worlds.” To me, the song itself was just aiiirright, the beat being the least of what was good about it. It was cool though but if Weezer’s mad about it, fuck ‘em. I can make a million different beats to any of Asher’s lyrics that would murder that shit, I could even do something that sounded like some Weezer shit but waaaay better in a hip-hop context.
Check me out…
http://www.myspace.com/clinteestwood
November 29th, 2008 at 2:41 am
wow well…what eestwood said…hehe
December 1st, 2008 at 4:29 am
LOL @ weezer. they need to stop. niggas haven’t had a hit since Island in the sun.
March 28th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Weezer denied Asher because Say It Ain’t So is a song about alcoholism. Rivers didn’t want him using a song that was about alcoholism to promote alcoholism. Do your research before you get mad! Props to Weezer for sticking to their guns and not selling out
April 7th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
This Asher guy hasn’t got a patch on the talent that Weezer have and taking a song about alcoholism and making it into a song promoting binge drinking is really pathetic, especially without permission. Props to Rivers!
April 15th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
That’s a shame.
Weezer and Asher Roth are equally corny, so they would have been a great pair.
April 15th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I’m sorry, people, but I’ma have to take Weezer’s side on this. Maybe they weren’t feeling the track, which I think will eventually be recognized as one of Asher’s weakest lyrically. And they are under no obligation to give permission to a sample that they weren’t approached about prior to its usage.
Rivers is a crazy genius, undoubtedly, and his interactivity with fans has had its ups and downs over my years of Weezer fanhood. I have been a fan of theirs since the blue album, but I also am willing to recognize that they have their weaknesses. However, I think they were fully in the right on this one. Besides, if Asher is such an up-and-coming talent, why does he need an immediately recognizable hook sample on an emphasis track anyway? That always rubbed me the wrong way. “Lark on My Go-Kart” is where his talent shines…that track should take center stage.
Just my three cents’ worth.
Rob
April 27th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Maybe it’s because the song is about a douchebag frat boy and everything that sucks about college bro dudes. Why would you want your music to be sampled and butchered by a complete tool?
May 4th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Yeah, Say It Aint So is a beautiful song about alcoholism, and this douch choad comes along and is like “yay beer” man, fuck this kid, and fuck his accent, fucking wanna-be, at no point do you come from the suburbs and get an accent like that just from being a fan of hip hop, what a douchetard. It’s the equivalent of stupid crackers affecting a fake-ass Jamaican accent when covering a raggae song. No fronts bitchez!
May 6th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Asher Roth is everything wrong with music today. No decent band would in any way condone such a disgrace.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:09 am
i never heard of anything about rivers asking fans to help out with songs but assuming it’s true it’s a totally different situation. he asked people for help and willing people helped. in this scenario some guy used their song without asking and THEN decided to get permission. i have no idea how someone couldn’t see that as being totally different situations.
i can ask a fan or a friend to help write a song and that’s fine. in the other situation i’m taking someones song (someone who i don’t know) and then ask “oh hey. i used your song. is that alright?” … they can lots of great reasons for saying “no” to me.
if you think weezer denying him the rights to use the song is a bad move then you clearly have no idea what a song might mean to someone who wrote it. money is nice but they have money and maybe they don’t want a song that they’re probably proud of to end up in a tune that maybe they just really don’t like or feel it misrepresents the song.
they didn’t make a huge mistake, they just proved that sometimes rich musicians care about what they did and are not going to sell their work every time money is thrown at them.
even take tom waits for example. he refuses to have his songs used in commercials… musicians like this don’t want their songs to be misrepresented either by products or frat boys… and maybe they don’t want to rob their art of meaning by selling it off to something that will eat away at the impact of the original piece.
i have nothing but respect for these individuals.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
FUCK ASHER ROTH. If it wasnt for weezer punk ass little preps like him wouldnt even have a name. Everyone needs to get off his nuts he cant even make his own beats. OO yeah he might have stole some shit from the purple pill candy man too. HE SUCKS
December 26th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Because Weezer is (or was, until Beverly Hills, wtf was that ?!) a talented band. They’ve accepted talented help from talented people. That’s totally cool. No talented band wants a crappy one hit wonder like Asher Roth to use their song. I mean come on.