Noise Mag
MUSIC REVIEWS
Will Smith - Lost and Found
Seth Saltzman
I don’t think enough can be said of Will Smith’s music career in one review. Will Smith, a.k.a. Big Willie, a.k.a. The Fresh Prince has been making music for nearly twenty years and it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon.
With a hard, new attitude and a raw style to match, Will is trying to make a successful return to the rap game. But can this old school, good feeling, simplistic rapper make it in the new world of hip-hop where guns and drugs seem to reign supreme?
As the album begins, one word comes to mind: corny. As the beat for the intro track “Here He Comes” drops, which is produced by his long time friend DJ Jazzy Jeff, it’s obviously a sample of the old Spiderman theme song. “He can act he can rap/And if it comes down to it, he can scrap.” But the wait to hear Will spit is defiantly worth the wait. Will seems to have stepped his game up to a whole new level. “In the past he, passed with passion/Old fashioned boldly mashin’ totally crashin’.”
Moving along, Smith continues the album with the club-and-radio-friendly, yet lyrically healthy “Party Starter” and the equally party friendly lead single “Switch,” in which Will quips “It ain’t like I like a chick on chick or something.”
But along with the songs with hooks to make you move, Will goes deeper into his mind, heart and soul then ever before. In the aw inspiring track “Tell Me Why” featuring Mary J. Bliege, Smith asks the oh-so-prominent question in today’s times: “why?”. Will doesn’t spare the emotion when touching on the subjects of 9/11, priest scandal, and BIG and Pac’s murders. Will even manages to drop the “f-bomb” during the song, but intentionally bleeps it out with studio magic.
Another notable on the album are “Mr. Nice Guy” in which will explains why he hasn’t responded to Eminem’s diss about a half of a decade ago. “Big Will just did another 20 mill’, walk right past he.” The Fresh Prince also manages to call out outspoken radio personalities Wendy Williams and Larry Elder.
“Lost And Found” has it’s downfalls, though. “Pump Ya Brakes” featuring Snoop Dogg finds Will and Snoop seemingly uncomfortable over the stringy O. Banga and The Freshmen beat. Also, the need for three versions of the same song (“Switch”) on one album is a bit repetitive and annoying.
Overall, Will brings to the table a lyrical assault that no one seems to have predicted. Songs like “Scary Story,” in which Will explains in the chorus “This is just a story about a young man comin’ up in the rap game,” and the supposed true story of a female stalker “Loretta” showcases the ability he seems to have never lost, but has built upon.