Neon This Week

Asher Roth's hip-hop witty

These days, hip-hop is as suburban as it is urban. Sure, the genre was born in the inner city, but its audience and influence have long since stretched far beyond the mean streets.

Hence, the rise of rappers such as Asher Roth, a witty, white bread MC who doesn't put on any airs regarding his background. Instead, he comes with tongue-in-cheek rhymes about the banalities of middle class living.

Is he hard? No. Hard not to like? Definitely.

See Asher Roth at 7 p.m. Thursday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $30 in advance, $34.50 day of show; call 632-7600.

-- JASON BRACELIN