I love it. I haven't really been into rap since elementary school/early middle school, but I really like this album. I've always liked Will Smith, back when I was a little kid watching Fresh Prince (I skipped school to get Carltons autograph
.) I liked Big Willie Style, and Willienium (slightly less as he was doing more rap stuff instead of pop-rap/hiphopish stuff) but I really like how this one is more personal. I decided to listen to it after hearing Switch (which at first I didn't like but it grew on me.
Anyway, in this album he talks a lot about how rappers dislike him because he's more pure and whatnot - he doesn't cuss excessively in his raps, he doesn't talk about killing people, he doesn't talk about his drugs, his gangs, his hoes, his gats, etc. He even points it out in the title song 'Lost & Found' and I think it's a real wake up call that rappers need. Here's a verse from that, and I think it's very true:
Let's talk about rhyme capability
Let's talk about hip hop versatility
Let's talk about taking the game beyond
Now how the hell we gon have a battle of wits
Trick you ain't armed
Let's talk about love for the game
I mean real love
Back before there was fame
I'm real wit it
I ain't claiming to reign
But when ya'll talk about rap
Ya'll gon start saying my name
For real though I ain't playin
Plenty of ya'll love a brotha just scared to say it
Yo the first ever rap grammy
Let's talk about the only reason yo ass went to Miami
(Yup) truck wit rims (check) throw back jersey (check)
champagne bottles (check) lot's of models (check)
Damn that's the list for 90 percent of ya'll videos and songs
Am I wrong
Also, another verse from that song I liked:
LOST
When you a slave to the biz
Wit no care for the cost of what you sayin to kids
FOUND
Is when ya lyrics are a test of time
And your mom hear that your spirit is blessed divine
LOST
Is when you rhyme til your throat gets sore
But you don't even believe what you say no more
FOUND
Is when you bleed heart into the mic
And the pain you sustain it can change a life
LOST
Is when you hide behind the freedom of speech
While sure you're free to do it
But what it mean to do it
Did you mean to do it
Did you need to do it
Did you take time to think about the seeds you ruined
FOUND Is ESCO, dead PREZ and them
FOUND Is Lauren Hill
FOUND Is Rakim
FOUND Can be you
If you felt the message and ask yourself this questioin
Also, in the song Tell Me Why he talks about current world issue, 9/11, priests, etc. But he doesn't do it in a vulgar way (like Eminem bluntly saying "Fuck Bush".) It's tasteful I think and it talks about God and stuff, I think if the youth of America is going to listen to rap they should listen to stuff more like this. I think him growing up and having kids kept him from selling out, more or less, like other rappers. He talks about his kids too in some songs.
Yerp.
