Big Willy is back in his original groove
The Fresh Prince proves that fame and fortune haven't buried his roots
April 19, 2005
By LORRIE IRBY / The Dallas Morning News
All snickering and eye-rolling aside, many of today's rappers have probably used Will Smith's career as a model for their own success.
After all, as part of Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Big Willy from Philly earned the first Grammy for hip-hop. Later, he became the first rapper to be nominated for an Oscar, for Ali. And he was dropping party joints, a hit sitcom and blockbuster films in-between.
The wholesome image hasn't exactly amped his street credibility, but his fourth solo CD, Lost and Found, proves that Big Willy can still say something worth hearing on the mike. Thanks to his verbal dexterity, Lost ... has some cuts that can even get the most hardcore of haters nodding along.
Will Smith
Grade: B-
Lost and Found
(Interscope) in stores now
He tells galloping gossiping jock Wendy Williams to step off "before I buy your radio station and send you home" in "Mr. Niceguy," a humorous dig at all of the high-profile folks using him for target practice.
"Ms. Holly Roller" chastises a hypocritical acquaintance using her newfound religion as a weapon, and the title track speaks to his indignation at the lack of respect he's received in hip-hop as of late: "I'm real with it, and I ain't claimin' to reign, but when y'all talk about rap y'all gon' start saying my name."
The celebrity cameos even work: Snoop Dogg on the club-ready "Pump Ya Brakes" and Mary J. Blige's croon underlining the genuine pain and rage he channels in "Why," in which he tries to explain atrocities such as 9-11, racism and hatred to his innocent son and actually uses the f-word in the bridge (bleeped out, of course; Big Willy's for the kids).
Even with those heavyweights, some tracks are so rudimentary that even Mr. Smith's charm and wit can't save them. For example, the opening track is pure cornball; he brags on himself to the tune of "Spider Man (Theme)," for goodness' sake. And "Loretta," about an obsessed fan who takes her celebrity crush too far, borrows too heavily from Eminem's "Stan" to have any real impact. But don't count Big Willy out; like the heavyweight champ he portrayed on-screen, Lost And Found proves that he still packs plenty of punch.