This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Will Smith albums are a lot like Will Smith movies: Most of the time they’re enjoyable and entertaining, if a tad predictable.
Every now and then, though, Smith seems to make a concerted effort to earn some respect with a flick like Ali. Or a CD like Lost And Found. Smith’s fourth solo disc is his most revealing and serious release, with personal tracks tackling everything from religious intolerance and past lovers to 9/11 and the evils of modern society. Not that Big Willie has suddenly turned into Chuck D or Ice Cube; Mr. Smith still gets jiggy wit it on lightweight cuts like Here He Comes (based on samples from TV’s Spider-Man theme) and If U Can’t Dance (which seems inspired by Hitch). And he pokes fun at his squeaky-clean image on tracks like Mr. Niceguy and I Wish I Made That, the latter of which finds him wondering what he has to do to get some street cred. Whether Lost And Found will bring him any is doubtful. But it might just earn him a little more grudging respect.
