2005 studio album by Will Smith
Lost and Found is the fourth studio album by American actor and rapper Will Smith, and his last one to date. It was released on March 29, 2005, by Interscope Records. The album reached number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, making this Smith's third overall top ten album following Willennium in 1999 and his second gold-selling album following Born to Reign in 2002. The album also reached the top 20 on the UK Albums Chart. "Switch" and "Party Starter" were released as singles.
Recording and production
The majority of recording for Lost and Found took place at The Boom Boom Room in Burbank, California, with additional sessions at The Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Cutting Room in New York City, New York, 1020 Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida.[2] Almost all songs on the album were produced or co-produced by The Freshmen, or individual member Troy "Treezah" Johnson, with executive producer Omarr "O. Banga" Rambert producing much of Smith's vocals; DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kwamé, and more also contributed to production.[2]
Composition
In his review of the album for the website AllMusic, Andy Kellman claimed that the lyrics on Lost and Found contribute to "the least party-oriented album Smith has made", blaming the poor sales performance of previous album Born to Reign and criticism by other rappers and radio personalities for making Smith "a little bitter".[3] PopMatters writer Mike Schiller identifies a similar tone on the album, noting that Smith is "surprisingly confrontational" on much of the record targeting subjects such as rap radio and other hip hop artists.[4] Rolling Stone writer Christian Hoard noted that the lyrics on the album feature "lots of self-deprecating humor".[5]
Critical reception
Commercial
Lost and found debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, selling 98,000 copies in its first week.[8] The album reached number four on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[9] Outside of the US, it reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, and also reached the top 20 in Germany.[10]
Critical
Media response to Lost and Found was mixed; aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalized rating of 50, based on 10 critical reviews, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".[13] Entertainment Weekly awarded the album a B+ rating, describing it as "packed with the sort of undeniable pleasures only the most churlish thug could deny".[12] Andy Kellman of AllMusic described it as "an entertaining and thoughtful album for young kids and their parents to listen to and talk about",[3] while PopMatters' Mike Schiller praised Lost and Found as a return to form for Smith, but noted that his audience had likely dwindled by the time of the album's release.[4]
Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone noted that while the album features "plenty of up-to-date beats", Lost and Found is let down by the fact that Smith does not have "a commanding presence" on many of the songs, which Hoard claimed made the rapper "utterly unconvincing" and "fast running out of steam".[5] A review in The Guardian simply concluded that "[Smith's] decision to stray from his usual blend of impish party tunes and extended jingles for the latest summer blockbuster constitutes one of the most ill-advised career moves since MC Hammer went gangsta".[13] Greg Tate of The Village Voice dubbed Lost and Found "the lamest album that'll be released this year", describing Smith's style as "imitation hip-hop".[14]
Personnel
Personnel credits adapted from liner notes.[2]
- Treezah – recording (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16), various instruments (tracks 4, 8 – "I Wish I Made That" only – and 12), piano (track 7), guitar (track 13), bass (track 14)
- Pete Novak – recording (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17)
- Kevin Davis – mixing (tracks 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16 and 17)
- Dave Pensado – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12)
- Larry Gold – string arrangements (tracks 1, 6 and 7)
- Dylan Margerum – recording (tracks 3 and 13)
- DJ Jazzy Jeff – scratches (tracks 9 and 10)
- Jukebox – beatboxing (track 1)
- Mike Hartnett – guitar and bass (track 2)
- Donnie Scantz – keyboards (track 2)
- Brian Golder – recording (track 7)
- Raphael Saadiq – guitar (track 11)
- G1 – mixing (track 11)
- James Mellow Clarke – bass and keyboards (track 13)
- Tony Dofat – various instruments (track 17)
- Alfred – recording (track 17)
