Asher Roth - Be By Myself ft. Cee-Lo

What this video is

Released May 2009 as the third single from Asher Roth's debut album 'Asleep in the Bread Aisle' (SRC Records / Universal Motown), this video exists at the intersection of the frat-rap phenomenon and the late-2000s hip-hop mainstream crossover. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, riding the viral momentum of 'I Love College.' The feature from Cee-Lo Green — then widely recognized as one-half of Gnarls…

Why it matters

Represents the late-2000s 'frat-rap' or collegiate hip-hop subgenre at its commercial peak, bridging underground mixtape culture with major-label visual production values. The Cee-Lo feature bridges hip-hop and neo-soul, anticipating the cross-genre collaborations that would dominate the early…

The director

John Christopher Pina is a director and co-founder of Miniac Films (Los Angeles/New York). He won an MVPA for Best New Director in 2008 and directed music videos for artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, Common, John Legend, Rise Against, and Cee-Lo. He…