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Rap with Willie

Will Smith is back

COMEBACK SONG Will Smith

Presenting Will Smith. He made his Hollywood come back with `Hitch' and a music album `Lost and Found,' after a two-year hiatus. The `Prince of Philadelphia' is one of the few artistes who have made it big in Hollywood and the international music scene.

Hits such as `Getting' Jiggy with it' and `Miami' introduced Indian listeners to a sort of rapdifferent from Apache Indian's. The theme song from `Men in Black' consolidated his popularity before he lost it with two mediocre albums, `Born to Reign' and `Millennium.' His stint in 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 more recently `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's album comes at a time when Hip-hop and R&B are dominating the pop music scene and rap has taken a back seat. `Lost and Found' (Universal Music; CD; Rs. 395) is 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 it does you will shake your leg. The album begins with a short cheeky intro called `Here He Comes,' a spoof on the `Spiderman'theme.

Tracks like `Party Starter' and `Mr. Niceguy'bring to light Willie's smooth, yet powerful vocals set against instruments reflecting various moods. This time around the lyrics are serious and sensible. Willie's 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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