Bob

I’m so glad he put this out and that it fits easily with the time length and style of reels/tiktok. The more this kind of flow gets promotion the more I hope he leans in to these types of songs.

You quoting it is exactly what I came here to say. The 20 of us or so who ate up every “freestyle” post Lost and Found became, shall I say, a bit disenchanted knowing he wasn’t turning over a new record. I had to shake my cynicism and say: (a) yes, this is likely a track he wrote, (b) it could be on the cutting room floor or repurposed but (c) he’s not done producing new music this year so I can just relax and enjoy.
definitely high quality verses for sure even if something he had in the hopper already.

Yeah. My wife was listening with me last night and she asked "what's with all the cursing?"

Man, I am absolutely loving this album!!!! I love the barbershop, absolutely mesmerized by it.  Rave in the wasteland has got me, hard.  I love the sermons, his style on those are outstanding.  I’m loving all the different styles he’s rapping in, his flow is fantastic.  The hard times disco rap vibes so smooth, love it.  His message resonated with me in a major way, more than anything since code red.  Love the guitar on First Love.  The fresh feel of Make it Look Easy.  This is feeling very much like my favorite solo album, and second favorite after Code Red.   This album is way better than I was expecting.  So much better.  Fire, just absolutely fire. Beginning to end.

Man it’s been 20 years but I was looking to find your review of the album. For real. Very much aligned with your thoughts. The cursing is my biggest issue - some ordering too of songs but I’m coming around to it as a total piece (rather than the sum of its parts).

Man it’s been 20 years but I was looking to find your review of the album. For real. Very much aligned with your thoughts. The cursing is my biggest issue - some ordering too of songs but I’m coming around to it as a total piece (rather than the sum of its parts).

Great to some of the old heads returning to the forum! 
Make It Look easy is also really catchy! 

The intro is straight fire! Love hearing Will and Jeff on the same track. 

Best intro of all his albums? I say YES!

Thank you! Feels like I never left (save for a few Facebook logins when I couldn’t access this account it’s gotta be over a decade now).
I hope Jeff is more present in the next two albums he releases this year (crazy to say multiple albums, even just one from Will). There’s a real opportunity with the nostalgia love society has these days - even bad nostalgia wins. Now with will and Jeff’s talent, it’s a win - win. They could both commercially and critically really do something special with a cover to cover fresh Prince and Jazzy album.

Thank you! Feels like I never left (save for a few Facebook logins when I couldn’t access this account it’s gotta be over a decade now).
I hope Jeff is more present in the next two albums he releases this year (crazy to say multiple albums, even just one from Will). There’s a real opportunity with the nostalgia love society has these days - even bad nostalgia wins. Now with will and Jeff’s talent, it’s a win - win. They could both commercially and critically really do something special with a cover to cover fresh Prince and Jazzy album.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

Found a way to log back in to my original account and so fun to see everyone hyped. I have to say, I can’t stop playing the intro barbershop - straight up I think I can beat Mike Tyson vibes. Been giving the whole record a couple plays so far. Definitely have three or four favs and trying to get a handle on the rest.

I’m surprised no one is calling out the barbershop intro. It’s such a lost art and a throwback plus such a great critique of himself and the moment.

Ah my bad! I didn't know about the master fam thread. Man I've been out of the loop.

Hey Visqo - I've been doing the whole career thing! Consulting is a bit of a hectic schedule. I spent my first five months in Southern California, then a bit back home, then San Fran...Now New York for the rest of the year. Whew. I wish I could spin turntables for a living because I got the travel down lol.

​I'm very much of the same opinion. He doesn't need to preach it, per se, but I think that there's no gain or benefit to him doing it, so why start now? I almost think he didn't say the word completely, but the point remains that he has so much equity built up in how he's approached rhyming that I would hate to see it dropped. Especially now that people have really moved away from hard lyrics. No one is clamoring for the G-Unit types anymore. If anything, much of popular hip hop has gotten over the "coolness" of a curse.

He may have cussed on other records, but other than "U Saw My Blinker," it was edited.  I don't care to hear him do it.  It's not that it personally bugs me much, it's that he's spent 30 years saying how truly intelligent people don't use that kind of language to express themselves. It is hypocritical. For those expecting lyrics that can be played in front of the entire family, he is a staple. He's known for that by millions. I don't want to see him throw that away, nor to a I wanna hear an album by the 'Prince that's littered with lazy, common, foul language.  Look at the comments in the news articles, social media, and YouTube, there are a significant amount of people who are quoting his lyrics, his previous interview quotes, and even Eminem's line from "The Real Slim Shady."

Saw it on the facebook fan page and couldn't spoil the positive vibes for casual fans...but then I had to come on here and vent as to how FRUSTRATING it is to hear the same thing...ugh

Hey guys,

I just wanted to stop by and say - Tim, everyone here, everyone who still frequents or once frequented this site - you guys are awesome. Seriously.

The impetus for this post is that seven years ago I came to this forum for an outlet, for an opportunity to enjoy my favorite artist, and for a community of similarly minded people when it came to good music. At the time, I ended up sharing some important moments in my life, including my first big break up. ()

At the time, I was at what I thought was rock bottom. I had no idea how to communicate how sad I was, and how pessimistic I was about my future. I came to this forum and you guys were great. This site has created a community that, while it has waned with the lack of music updates from Will Smith, was a needed outlet and break from life sometimes. And with this community and my own personal network of friends and family, I thrived the next several years.

I came back to this site today because seven years later I'm dealing with my second big breakup - this time of three years and plenty of expectations (e.g., marriage, settling down). And while I now laugh at how consumed I was back in 2006 with that (now seemingly insignificant) relationship, I realize that those same feelings have come back.

People get depressed for a number of reasons. And the number one worst position to put yourself in is one without perspective or the realization that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Believe me, right now I could tell you how I feel like things will never get better, that I had my chance, that the girl of my dreams is no longer in my life. I could swear to you up and down that this time is different and I'm doomed.

And then I can look at that post from seven years ago and realize those feelings are natural and almost required to come out of a situation for the better.

So thanks to Tim and everyone here for keeping this site up and active, even as the activity has slowed. I never saved that post to my harddrive, but seeing it today was a great wakeup call to me, when I needed it most.

It sounds kinda ridiculous but whatever I just wanted to express my thanks.