Mike Schiller: The Bai Guang sample pushes it over the edge. It’s another paranoid production from Danny Brown, and anyone waiting for him to ever lighten the hell up is going to be sorely disappointed. “Lost” trafficks in Brown’s signature mix of unabashed observation and the blackest of black comedy, careening wildly from punchline to kick in the face, never hinting at resolution or relief. The claustrophobically-filmed video contributes to the unbalanced mood while deconstructing some retro hip-hop motifs in the process (hello fish-eye lens, it’s been a while). For a song so short, it’s exhausting, and that’s surely by design. [7/10]
Adriane Pontecorvo: Few rappers can reach the frenetic pace that Danny Brown rides all the way through “Lost”. Brown hits the ground running at top volume, never running out of steam as he raps over solid beats and a languid sample from 1960s Chinese pop singer Lena Lim. The energy here is almost uncontrollable, but Brown has the tenacity to stay on top of it, and that’s exactly what he does. “Lost” is a small taste of Brown, but it’s definitely a succulent one. [8/10]
A Noah Harrison: Danny f****n Brown. Danny m****fuckin Brown. Brown, who has continued to push the envelope poetically and production-wise, is riding high in 2017, after what will be immortalized as
Tristan Kneschke: Blending aspects of Busta Rhymes, Tyler the Creator, and his own warped vision, Danny Brown emerges with an off-kilter grindhouse nightmare. Rapping about Kubrick and Spielberg, Brown’s video actually feels closer to Hitchcock – if he had made Psycho on a shoestring budget and an indie aesthetic. Brown even wields a knife at one point, referencing the famous shower sequence. There’s more to see in two minutes than most bands showcase in four, and the cinematic stylings contain a madcap sensibility that constantly shifts focus, and playing shots in reverse keeps things similarly bizarre. Kudos will always go to something different. [6/10]
Steve Horowitz: “Lost” is a good title for this track as it seems to be going nowhere in a disorienting manner. Alienation is the modern condition. Brown’s flow lets you know he feels it, too. There may be no escape from the rat race in which we live but that’s no reason to celebrate the maze. Brown’s much more interesting when he’s showing one the way to escape–even when the route is just another trap. [6/10]
Chris Thiessen: Off one of the most talked about rap released of 2016, “Lost” finds Danny Brown first in a world of selling cocaine to be successful, but then switches it up to “Show you that you can make it without acting like” his friends still stuck in that lifestyle. The beat is so distant in the mix, allowing Danny to pop off the track as if he were isolated, or “Lost”. [8/10]
Chris Ingalls: The frenetic rapping and the creepy vocal samples make for a killer combination. Brown’s rhymes are rapid-fire and typically profane. It’s a dizzying, swirling sonic collage and an appropriate kick in the pants. Play it loud. [7/10]
Ian Rushbury: Mr. Brown namedrops Stanley Kubrick during “Lost” which grabbed my attention for a second. Other than that, you get a rap over essentially, one looped sample. I can’t decide if this is a brilliant exercise in minimalism or something that was banged out on a Friday night before everyone hit Da Klub. Right now, I’m going with option two. [4/10]
Paul Carr: A curious choice for a single this, as it works perfectly in the context of the album but lacks the hook to justify it being a standalone single.That said, it is the perfect illustration of Brown’s ability to do a lot with very little. The bare-bones production features a crawling, repetitive loop with sampled, echoing vocal lines that wander in and out like snippets of long forgotten recordings. Coupled with Brown’s typically unbalanced rapping the effect is like listening to a particularly unhinged answer phone message while a gramophone record plays in the background. [7/10]
SCORE: 6.55