Lost and Found (Will Smith album)

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. 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.

Composition

Writing a 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". 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. Rolling Stone writer Christian Hoard noted that the lyrics on the album feature "lots of self-deprecating humor".

Promotion and release

The release of Lost and Found was preceded by the single "Switch" in February 2005, which gave Smith his first US Billboard Hot 100 top ten since "Wild Wild West" in 1999. "Switch" was also successful internationally, reaching the top ten on a number of regional charts including the UK Singles Chart. "Party Starter" was the second and final single released from the album, reaching the top 20 in the UK.

Commercial

Lost and found debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, selling 98,000 copies in its first week. The album reached number four on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Outside of the US, it reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, and also reached the top 20 in Germany.

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". 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". Andy Kellman of AllMusic described it as "an entertaining and thoughtful album for young kids and their parents to listen to and talk about", 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.

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". 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". 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".

Track listing

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes.