Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Back in Philly, April 4, 2005
Easily the best thing that Will has done since he was known as The Fresh Prince. Some of the reviewers state that you aren't a true rap fan if you say this a good album, but that is just silly - I listen to Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Eminem and tons of underground rap and this album is easily just as good - better than the trash 50 Cent put out last month (worst sophmore album of all time??) and easily better than Encore. A harder sound, more like building on the sound of Code Red. Jazzy Jeff is a refreshing sound on several of these tracks. Highly recommended - for fans of mainstraim rap (eminem, 50 cent) as well as underground (Qwel, Sage Francis). Will appeals to everyone.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Where there's a Will, June 16, 2005
Will Smith presents a mixed bag of tracks in an album which noisily signals his return to music. As you probably know, he's been a bit occupied with the whole acting career thing, so his music hasn't changed much from the days when he weighed 90 pounds, including afro. While hip hop has evolved a long way since the Fresh Prince first hit the mic and moved to Bel Air, Big Willie still sounds like a cheeky youngster, especially on the first hit single "Switch", a bass pounding dance piece with no lyrical merit whatsoever.
Cocky and brash, his songs come across as lightweight pop hop, which will probably be scoffed at by fans of popular hip hop. The lead off song "Here He Comes" borrows the original Spiderman theme, and speaks of his return to music.
"Fresh Prince was hot,
the movies killed him, wait, hold up, stop! You can rebuild him
lock him back in hip hop while Dude's not filming
shock by the film & the TV money, went from scenes with Uncle Phil
to scenes with Sonny, so hard to break free from a guaranteed 20
but its done, so come see the MC, honey! "
His lyrics repeatedly poke fun at popular hip hop artistes and he does a lot of complaining about the quality of music today:
Mr. Niceguy -
"Dissed by Eminem but did it bother him (yup)
But he classy Big Will just get another 20 mil
And walk right pass E."
Lost and Found -
"Why should I try to sound like ya'll sound
That's what's wrong wit the rap game right now
Why should I try to flow the way ya'll flow
Or do a show like ya'll show
Naw that ain't where my head at now
Ya'll in the hip hop lost and found
Man, that's wrong with the rap game right now
It's like a circus wit a bunch of clowns
Wit a bunch of clicks
I'll probably rap circles around"
A stand out track is "Tell Me Why" with Mary J. Blige, which speaks about senseless violence and hate crimes. "I Wish I Made That" samples Snoop's "Drop It While It's Hot", and on the very next track we have Snoop himself guesting on "Pump Ya Brakes". The R&B version of "Switch" with Robin Thicke is worth a listen, but the hidden track is one of the best parts of the album, a Jamaican dancehall version of "Switch" with Elephant Man that is way better than the original.
A strange track that doesn't belong, and in my opinion shouldn't have been made at all is "Loretta", the true story of a mentally ill young woman who was stalking him. This is without a doubt the low point of the album.
In summary, an album with some good stuff, but too much self promotion, too much dissing the present hip hop artistes, and not enough substance. Better than a three, not quite up to a four, so I'll rate this a 3.5.
Amanda Richards, June 17, 2005
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Big Will gets mad!, July 19, 2005
I have long since been a hip hop fan. From the time when Rapper's Delight came to the main stage and rocked us for the first time, I have been hooked. I've lived through the changes in the music I love, the good and the bad. I have seen the beefs, the coalitions, the one-hit-wonders, the violence, the deaths, the co-opting, the bad rappers making good and the good rappers getting bad press. I've seen this "thing of ours" grow up. But growing up does not necessarily mean maturing, and there is a distinct difference. Anyone can grow up. It's the mere state of not dying. Maturing takes takes skill. Learning from the past and translating it into something that can be used positively for anyone involved in that particular life. Where am I going with this?
Will Smith has put out an album that I feel is warranted of a mature status. I mean this in the most positive terms.
We all know he was never a gangster MC from the very begining. Anyone one of us who actually appreciate this genre of music can attest to the fact that he was not a negative role model from the get-go! He has always been about the story telling and the party vibe (the family party vibe) in his music. That is what made him big with us. He was safe and still funky at the same time while groups like NWA was F***ing the police, as if they represented the reality of ALL blacks in the country! I know ALL of these crunked-up-gangsta-cussing rappers, and I make a DISTINCT and purposeful separation between the two, were boppin' thier high top fades and shaking their Jordache jean-wearing asses to his music back in the day. And a clown like Eminem (I call him Dre'-enim) (I also allude back to the COOPTING issue)has NO BUSINESS saying ANYTHING about a pioneer of this game! He was the FIRST to be on the television doing his thing with his OWN SHOW! Eight Mile was okay, I will admit. But Will Smith was the one who made Hip Hop palatable to the masses enought to be on prime time! Or in the movies for that matter!
In this album he showed his (...)! And he needed to! If the dissin' was as bad as he let on, the perpetrators need to listen closely and heed the word. Leave the legends alone!
I especially appreciate the fact that I CAN PLAY THIS MUSIC AROUND MY KIDS! I love Hip Hop! In almost all of its forms! And I do mean ALMOST! I do believe that there should be a variety of music. Hip Hop, just like any other form of media, has different shades of reality. Not all music can or should be suitable for kids. Movies are a great example of this.
But C'mon people! 99% of the music I love can't be, or better yet, should not be, played around children! There was a time when you used to turn the music on in the house on a Saturday morning while you were cleaning up and groove with your family! Can't do that with Hip Hop these days! You can, but you shouldn't.
This album is his best yet! Not the greatest Hip Hop album of all time! But definitely better than 99% of the garbage that's out there now!
And Wendy Williams, you spin records! You don't make them! When you make something that's worth any kind of national attention, then MAYBE you can say something. Quit riding other people's backs to make a name for yourself. Leech!
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