Will Smith - Lost and Found (Album Review)

That cover is dope

01 Here He Comes 1 Star
This shit is pretty corny. Produced by Jazzy Jeff, the beat aint that bad, but Will sings to the tune of the original Spider-man theme, and its just corny. The lyrics are word-for-word his "freestyle" on tim westwood's show over the "how we do beat". He shoulda used that. It's OK for an album intro kinda song

02 Party Starter 4 Stars
Now, this is the first real song. It's pretty obvious what this is trying to do: start a party. It mixes your usual dirty south-influenced party beat with a catchy, italian-influenced melody. No, its no lyrical masterpiece, but it does its job. I actually like this "screaming Will" sorta flow more than his usual "corny Will" flow.

03 Switch 1 ½ Stars
This is the lead single. The beat is a basic mix of drums and bass, or should I say claps and bass, produced by Kwame (Banks's "On Fire"). This chorus is pretty annoying. You probably heard it, it goes "Swiiiiiiiiiiiiitch" but sounding like "He-eeeeeeeeeyyy". Will cannot carry this song, his flow was never anything special, nor his lyrics.

04 Mr. Nice Guy 4 ½ Stars
This chorus sounds like Nate Dogg's little brother. The beat uses a electric guitar and some occasional piano sample. This is basically about how Willie's got a be a nice guy, since he's perceived as a nice guy. One of his better lyrical moments. He "disses" Eminem by basically saying that his diss didnt bother Will: "Dissed by Eminem but did it bother him (yup) / But he classy, Big Will just get another 20 mil" and dissing Wendy Williams, who started a rumor that both Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith are teh ghey and married each other to protect their secret: "...you better leave me alone / Before I buy your radio station and send you home". This song also basically say how he has to keep up his image and how sometimes he's mad and he's gotta bottle up his anger, as well as people who suggest he's not black enough. Thats all great, but there is a sing-song part at the end which is corny as hell.

05 Mr. Holy Roller 4 Stars
The chorus aint so great. The beat is prety basic, but in a good way. Not the greatest shit ever tho. This is actually another rather impressive lyrical display, esp coming from Will. He says how born-again christians are hypocrital and even asks the question "If I don’t believe, would you believe I’m going to Hell?".

06 Lost & Found 4 ½ Stars
This beat has a great violin loop as well as some scratching. He disses the industry calling it "a circus with a buncha clowns". And then, he quotes Royce Da 5'9'' (possibly unintentionally): "a buncha cliques I probably rap citcles around". I'm pretty sure some guy "co-wrote" this shit, Kanye West-style, since its about the only time when he's using metaphors and shit. Wait, Royce ghostwrote for Dre, right? Regardless, this shit is pretty good.

07 Tell Me Why feat. Mary J. Blige 5 Stars
The obvious comparison is to Jadakiss - "Why?" since he asks a buncha questions, including the Biggie and Pac one. Another comparison can be made to Nas - "One Mic" since appearently Will gets angrier and starts shouting. I dont like Mary J. at the beggining when she goes "Whyyyy?". The beat uses a light guitar and a little synth melody, strings, piano, and a buncha other things, as it evolves like "One Mic". Will starts discussing 9/11, but you gotta say that this dude needs to avoid his moments of corny-ness when discussing this, which doesnt happen up to the second line: "September 11th, I woke up about 7 AM / West coast time, French toast and my Turkey bacon". Anyways, he actually has great lyrics after that:

"My son said, "Daddy were there people in that building?"
A cold sweat, frozen with a lump in my chest
I heard his question, couldn't bring my lips to say "Yes" to him
[...]
Then one week later our bombs were dropped
We seein' them on CNN, they just won't stop
The infrared images of brutal attack
He said, 'Daddy now we killin' em back'"

Mary's part after that is much improved, and then is where Willie, Mr. Nice guy, gets angry. Will goes into making every line a question, Jadakiss-style. Its like Jada's song, except without dumb-ass gangsta references and "why dont ya sip cris" and such. And then Will does the unthinkable: he curses! That kind of underscores his anger, but dont worry, its bleeped for the kids:

"Tell me why did that sniper make the little boy shoot?
...Why did my brother Sterling have to die at that age?
Tell me why did Reginald Denny deserve his fate?
& why the f*@k can't love seem to defeat hate?
Tell me why is it so hard for all the children to eat?
Why did Pac & Biggie Smalls have to fall in the street?
Tell me why did Jam Master Jay have to go that way?
Please what am I supposed to say to my kids when they say [Mary J:] Whyyyyyy?"

Miss Mary's part (Whyyyy) is better now. Willie goes for a third verse, which is sort of a letdown in that it is ordinary, but still good. Overall, this is the best song Big Will has ever done, as far as I'm concerned.

08 I Wish I Made That / Swagga 3 Stars
This album shoulda ended on "Tell Me Why". I know, its 7 tracks, but thats when the album peaked. Unfortunately, were not even halfway through the album. This shit aint all that bad per se, but it is rather disappointing. It uses a synthezised string loop and some pretty hard, but standard, drums. Will is probably the only rapper who'll ever brag about David Letterman liking his shit. He again adresses people calling him 'soft' or his lack of radio play. He sarcastically asks if he should go rob a truck for guns and use drugs to be "black enough." He then quotes "Lean Back", "Get Back" and "Drop it like It's Hot" on the chorus, like: "'Drop it like it's hoooooot, I wish I woulda made that." Not to deny this shit its bright spots, but this song is mediocre and the topic gets a little old.

09 Pump Ya Brrakes feat. Snoop Dogg 3 Stars
After quoting the doggfather, Snoop shows up himslef. OK, maybe I'm wrong, but didnt Snoop have a song called "Brake Fluid (Bitches Pump Yo Brakes)"? Regardless, you get a standard Snoop appearence, meaning interesting but not all that good. The beat is bassy, with rhythmic percussion. Unfortunately Will has nothing real good to say. Snoop does the chorus, and its pretty good, as some guy scratches in "Pump yo brakes!" and the beat adds a synth. The song is about stopping violence at clubs. Thats a pretty Will Smith-ish type of approach to a club song, altho I dont beleive Snoop gives a shit, and it by his verse, he cant even fake interest, appearently.

10 If U Can’t Dance (Slide) feat. Nicole of Pussycat Dolls 1 Star
This album continues rolling down hill. They shoudlve definitely put "Scary Story" as track 10 and possibly the Switch reggae mix as track 11 and be done with it. This is basically his latest movie "Hitch" in song format, as he tries to give advice to the non-dancing folk out there. It has unlistenable parts and not anything interesting in between. Its an OK song concept, but Will just cant pull it off, and Nicole doesnt really help.

11 Could U Love Me? 2 Stars
This shit is pretty unoriginal. Its the "would you love me if I wasnt rich?" song, which is especially ridiculous since he's married to Jada Pinkett-Smith, who doesnt need his money at all. The guitar and bass is actually pretty good, altho the guitar part sounds like "Frontin'" by Pharrell and Jay-Z. You know, like HUH, dut, dut, HUH, dut, dut (no homo). Dont tell me you dont know. Again, Royce (or whomever's writing for him, or Will if hes writing for himself) has a rather well-written part about the importance of rap to him:

"I pray before I sit with a pen and a pad
A birth of a thought occurs, and it calls me dad
And to the universe an idea, released from me
Just a CD? Nah man, a piece of me
But you can't see it that when you be dancin, B
As I asked you a question that's how you answer me
So when you don't dance it be like I'm chokin from cancer
Like I wrote rancid rhymes, I can't survive, sure
I rationalize, like oh I see
But if you don't like my cut it's like you don't like me".

Well, I sorta dislike you for this one, Will. No hater.

12 Loretta 2 Stars
This is like a G-rated version of "Stan". Think about that for a second. How would Eminem's song be without crazy, suicidal tendencies in Stan? Probably a little like this. Loretta is obsessed, but not crazy. It's not all that interesting. The piano on effects beat isnt all that good. Near the end "Shouting Will" returns, and the beat gets better. I'd rather listen to "Stan".

13 Wave 'Em Off 2 Stars
Another electric guitar beat, except only ocassionaly using them. Whoever does the chorus makes it all annoying instead of good. It's about "waving off" the negative people, which is educated Mr. Nice Guy talk for "dem hataz". Will's flow still hurts songs, this one especially.

14 Scary Story 2 3/4 Stars
At the beggining, Will is going "boom, bam, boom bam" while a child talks, and that was garbage. thankfully, the "boom, bam" stops and a synth plays that part. It has rather annoying vocals that come on in the beat that take away from the desired creepiness of the piano loop. The scary story's plot becomes obvious: this is an autobiography. The chorus isnt all that great. Will Smith does pretty good (not great) in recalling his tale, but his flow isnt...what it should be for this song. its hard to describe, but it seems off.

15 Switch (R&B Remix) feat. Robin Thicke 1 ½ Stars
Better than the original, the synth bassline is pretty good although its piano loop gets annoying, as well as a sing-song part. The chorus is OK, but nothing special.

16 Bonus Track - Switch (Reggae Remix) feat. Elephant Man 2 ½ Stars
Theree versions of "Switch" is pretty unneccesary. Elephant Man does his usual thing, which I enjoy here, no homo. I like how this beat conveys the energy intended better with its amount of synths and its deep, booming bass kicks. The sing-song part is actually OK over this beat. The lyrics are what they used to be, meaning not all that great.

Conclusion:
While Will's flow is rather corny and some parts of songs are unlistenable, this album makes up for it with Will's occasionally great lyrics and generally good beats. Basically, you get what you expect, only much better. If you never liked his flow, youre not gonna like it now, even tho at times he alters it. You also get something you wouldnt expect, which is introspection and depth and new song concepts. The album really picks up and peaks at track 7, and is basically downhill from there. I would never expect to be here talking about Will Smith's album being better than Eminem's, but here I am.

Score: 2.765625
Rounded to: 3 out of 5 Stars

What the tracklisting shouldve been:
01 "How We Do" Freestyle
02 Party Starter
03 Switch (Reggae Remix) feat. Elephant Man
04 I Wish I Made That / Swagga
05 Pump Ya Brrakes feat. Snoop
06 Scary Story
07 Mr. Nice Guy
08 Mr. Holy Roller
09 Lost & Found
10 Tell Me Why feat. Mary J. Blige