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Where there's a Will, there's Smith
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After two mediocre albums, Will Smith is back with a smashing collection of rap numbers
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Photo: Reuters
RAPPING IN STYLE: The Fresh Prince has found his majo again.
The man made a comeback to Hollywood recently with Hitch, and a week back, he released his new music album, Lost and Found,after a hiatus of two years. Will Smith is back.
The Prince of Philadelphia is one of the few artistes who has made it big both in Hollywood and the international music scene.
Musically, his earliest hits like "Gettin' Jiggy With It" and "Miami" introduced Indian listeners to a sort of rap, which was very different from the reggae-rap of Apache Indian, whom desi fans grew up listening to. The theme song from the alien-comedy Men In Black consolidated his popularity before he lost his ground with two unforgettably mediocre albums, Born To Reign and Millennium.
His stint at Hollywood, however, has been far from disastrous. Back-to-back hits like Men In Black (I and II), Wild Wild West, Ali, Bad Boys II, I Robot and the more recent Hitch have earned him a reputation of being the comic satire hero who chooses his films with the same expertise as his ability to make people laugh at himself.
Will Smith's album comes at a time when hip-hop and R&B are dominating the pop music scene. Rap has taken a backseat and can be heard only from the likes of artistes like Eminem, who project an unwanted level of aggression and tasteless sentiments through their music.
Lost and Found (Universal Music; CD; Rs. 395) comes as a much-needed relief and brings back the LL Cool J style of rap. The first single from the album, "Switch", takes some time to grow on you, but once you come to terms with the rhythm, you can't help shaking your leg.
The album begins with a short cheeky intro called "Here He Comes" which is a spoof on the Spiderman theme. Tracks such as "Party Starter" and "Mr. Niceguy" bring to light Willie's smooth yet powerful vocals set against instruments reflecting various moods. This time around though, he doesn't just play the fool. The lyrics are definitely more serious and sensible.
Willie's new album ends his rickety run in the music world. Lost and Found finds what was lost, and hopefully, will keep it up for future albums.
A. VISHNU
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