History
When he was growing up, he found that listening to his parents was unbearable. He got a job as a newspaper boy at age 7 to support his family. Once he grew up, he developed a reputation and following as a school and block party DJ extraordinaire, Jazzy Jeff was the feature of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. As a duo, they had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap Grammy ever presented in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand. When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named "Jazz", Smith's best friend on the show. The two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back/snap with both characters saying "Pssh!").
Jazz' trademarks include being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (James Avery), screaming as he went flying out the front door. This was referenced in the song "N.Y, N.Y." by Lloyd Banks from his second album Rotten Apple, with the lyric "I throw a bitch out the crib like Jazzy Jeff". [1]
DJ Jazzy Jeff is not to be confused with Jeffrey Myree from the earlier hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, which in fact filed and won a lawsuit over the name Jazzy Jeff against Jeff Townes and Jive records when they signed DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. After DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke up, Townes went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer, establishing the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia. Among the artists that Jazzy Jeff has helped develop are Jill Scott and Musiq. Even though he separated from Will Smith as music partners, they are still best friends and still occasionally work together. Some songs by Will Smith were produced by Jeff Townes (Ex. Here He Comes), and he has performed on some songs by Will Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas". In addition, he appears in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K", "Freakin' It", and "Party Starter". On some occasions, he makes appearances with Smith on live concerts, producing DJ scratches.
He, along with DJ Cash Money, is credited with making the transform scratch famous.
On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Will Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. In the past, Will has performed on concerts with DJ Jazzy Jeff for the scratches. Moreover, Will acknowledges him in his music like "Comin' To The Stage" from the album Lost & Found or "Potnas" in his album Willennium.
His 2007 release TROTM (The Return of the Magnificent) is a classic work which returns to the roots of hip-hop with a neo-soul mixture included. This album featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Peedi Crakk (a remake of Brand New Funk), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn.
In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in the video DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Fest directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest and they reveal that they are working on an album together called "I'm the DJ, I'm the Rapper".
Discography
Solo work as DJ Jazzy Jeff
* Unreleased album from Sony Records (1998)
* One cut in Battle of DJs
* The Magnificent (2002)
* Soulheaven Presents Jazzy Jeff in the House (2004)
* The Soul Mixtape Groovin' Records USA (2005)
* Hip-Hop Forever II Rapster Records (2004)
* Hip-Hop Forever III BBE Records (2006)
* The Return of The Magnificent EP (2007)
* The Return of the Magnificent (2007)
* The Return of Hip Hop EP (2007)
As DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
* Rock the House (1987) #83 US (Gold)
* He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988) #4 US (3x Platinum)
* And in This Corner… (1989) #39 US (Gold)
* Homebase (1991) #12 US (Platinum)
* Code Red (1993) #64 US (Gold)
* Greatest Hits (1998) #144 US, #20 UK
* Before The Willennium (1999)
* The Very Best of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (2006)
Miscellaneous
* 1991 - Deep, Deep, Trouble with Bart Simpson and the remixes; from The Simpsons Sing the Blues
* 1997 - Jazzy Jeff's Theme; from the album Nuyorican Soul
* 1998 - "When To Stand Up" featuring Eminem
* 1998 - I Don't Know by Slum Village (scratches); from the album Fantastic, Vol. 2
* 1999 - The Next Movement by The Roots (scratches); from the album Things Fall Apart
* 2004 - Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Full Sole Remix) by Everything But The Girl; from Adapt or Die: 10 Years of Remixes
* 2005 - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kuzma Solefull Mix) by the Temptations; from Motown Remixed.
* 2005 - Lost & Found by Will Smith; produced intro song Here He Comes and several DJ scratches on several tracks
* 2005 - The Minstrel Show by Little Brother; Scratches on the song Watch Me.
* 2006 - Feel It (Jazzy Jeff Soulful Remix) by the Black Eyed Peas; from Renegotiations: The Remixes
* 2006 - Night in Tunisia (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix) by Duke Jordan
* 2007 - Ear Drum by Talib Kweli; Scratches on song NY Weather Report.
* 2008 - Get Busy by The Roots (scratches); from the album Rising Down.
Pump Up the Bass
DJ Jazzy Jeff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the place to be
DJ Jazzy Jeff and yours truly the Fresh Prince
Ay Jeff, do me a favor, give em just a lil' TOUCH of the bass
Not a lot, just a lil' touch Jeff
Word word
Ay Jeff do me a favor man, Jazz it up
Now bring it all back
Yo man now break it down and let me go for mine
When I first started out, Jeff used to come to my house
Just as soon as school let out, he used to
Come to my crib, and you know what we did?
We bugged out like two little kids, word
Jeff on the wheels, and me on the M.I.C.
A better combination there could never be
So let's go back, for old time's sake
Yo Jeff! (WHAT?) Pump up the bass!
I . like . my . music . loud!
The volume, pumpin, the kickdrum thumpin
The people jumpin, up out there seats
When this record comes on, you think something's wrong
The bass is too strong
You don't have to check your record, it's not defective
It's just the way we wanted it, pump it, get it?
We like it loud, strong like a magnum force
I am the lyricist, Jeff is the rhythm source
This combination, is virtually omnipotent
That means invincible, you know, dominant
So don't you cross our path, just stay out our face
Or we'll knock you down, pump up the bass!
Yo Jeff man, how bout a funky scratch
Now get funky with it
Now bring in the snare
Now break it down and bring it all back to me
Now pump up the bass!
I'm hyped - psyched up
And I'm flowin, so come on let's go in
To the next segment, of this hip-hop fantasy
You say this can't be happening, why can't it be?
It's an equation, mathematically correct
It's Jeff + Prince, equals, hit records
Sounds too easy? Word, I know it does
You wanna know why? Well yo it's cause
Me and Jeff, oh, Jeff and I, excuse me
Blend like Kool-Aid, and flow like an uzi
That's why we can't be taken or broken or braken, whatever
And if you think we can, you're mistaken, we're clever
Cause all we did to make this record a hit
Was turn down the treble, pump up the bass kit
At the same time the volume was increased
Adding more strength, to this masterpiece
Of poetry, by now you know it's me
Poet, creativity, pushin, to out destiny
I am on the M-I-C, Jeffery is the Disc Jockey
? keep us company, the human beat box Ready C
Backed up by a family, and that is all we need
So that we can be successful as we want to be
The future is in front of me so here is a taste
Of the future of hip-hop Jeff, pump up the bass!
Yo Jeff one more scratch man
Ready Rock C man, give Jeff a hand
The song “Pump Up the Bass” from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince showcases the duo’s love for music and their talent to make their listeners groove. The song begins with Fresh Prince introducing himself and DJ Jazzy Jeff before asking Jeff to give “a lil' TOUCH of the bass.” It then progresses to highlight their strong musical partnership and how they used to spend time together when they first started out - Jeff on the wheels of steel and Fresh Prince holding the microphone. He then goes on to explain how they wanted their music to be boisterous and unabashed, and how they intentionally turned down the treble and pumped up the bass to make it happen. Fresh Prince asserts that with their partnership, they’ve created a genius equation that equals hit records - Jeff playing the rhythm and he, the lyricist.
The two parts of the song begin and end with Fresh Prince asking Jeff to pump up the bass, which empowers the song every time it plays. Hip-hop lovers would appreciate the emphasis on bass over treble, showing how the rhythm should always be at the forefront of everything. The lyrics are catchy - it can make anyone feel hyped up and excited to dance. This song shows that their friendship started young, and music was their go-to playtime activity. More importantly, it shows how powerful they can be as a duo - Jeff as the DJ and Fresh Prince as the rapper. Overall, the song pumps up the listener with its beats and makes them feel joyful with its energy.
Line by Line Meaning
In the place to be
We are in the right place to perform
DJ Jazzy Jeff and yours truly the Fresh Prince
Jeff and I are here to perform
Ay Jeff, do me a favor, give em just a lil' TOUCH of the bass
Jeff, please add a slight but noticeable amount of bass to the music
Not a lot, just a lil' touch Jeff
We don't need a lot, just a little bass
Now bring it all back
Restart the music from the beginning
Yo man now break it down and let me go for mine
Let's slow down the music so I can perform my lyrics
When I first started out, Jeff used to come to my house
When I started in the hip-hop industry, Jeff would come over to my place
Just as soon as school let out, he used to
Right after school ended, Jeff would be there
Come to my crib, and you know what we did?
He would come over to my house and we had fun
We bugged out like two little kids, word
We acted silly as if we were young kids again
Jeff on the wheels, and me on the M.I.C.
Jeff would be on the turntables, and I would be on the microphone
A better combination there could never be
We were an excellent team
So let's go back, for old time's sake
Let's remember those fun times we had
Yo Jeff! (WHAT?) Pump up the bass!
Jeff, please increase the volume of the bass!
I . like . my . music . loud!
I want my music to be played at a high volume!
The volume, pumpin, the kickdrum thumpin
The volume is high, the bass drum is vibrating
The people jumpin, up out there seats
The audience is dancing enthusiastically
When this record comes on, you think something's wrong
When this record is played, some people may think there's something wrong because of the strong bass
The bass is too strong
The bass is too dominant
You don't have to check your record, it's not defective
Your record is not broken, it is just the way we intended it to be played
It's just the way we wanted it, pump it, get it?
This is exactly how we wanted this record to sound, can you understand this concept?
We like it loud, strong like a magnum force
We enjoy loud music, strong like a magnum force
I am the lyricist, Jeff is the rhythm source
I am the one who writes the lyrics, Jeff provides the rhythm
This combination, is virtually omnipotent
Our collaboration is almost invincible
That means invincible, you know, dominant
It means that we are unbeatable
So don't you cross our path, just stay out our face
Don't interfere with us, just avoid our way
Or we'll knock you down, pump up the bass!
If you try to intervene, we will end up defeating you! (while increasing the bass)
Yo Jeff man, how bout a funky scratch
Can you create a funky scratching sound Jeff?
Now get funky with it
Please make it more fun and interesting
Now bring in the snare
Let's add in the snare drum
Now break it down and bring it all back to me
Let's pause the music and restart it for when I start rapping again
Now pump up the bass!
Increase the bass again!
I'm hyped - psyched up
I'm excited and ready
And I'm flowin, so come on let's go in
I'm ready to start rapping
To the next segment, of this hip-hop fantasy
Let's move on to the next part of this hip-hop song
You say this can't be happening, why can't it be?
You might think that this song is unrealistic, but it's not
It's an equation, mathematically correct
Our collab is mathematically correct and makes sense
It's Jeff + Prince, equals, hit records
Jeff and I = successful songs
Sounds too easy? Word, I know it does
It might sound easy, but it's not
You wanna know why? Well yo it's cause
If you're curious, I will tell you why
Me and Jeff, oh, Jeff and I, excuse me
Let me just correct myself in case I didn't use proper grammar at first
Blend like Kool-Aid, and flow like an uzi
We blend together like Kool-Aid and our flow is as powerful as an uzi
That's why we can't be taken or broken or braken, whatever
We are unbreakable and cannot be stopped, no matter what happens
And if you think we can, you're mistaken, we're clever
If you think we can be defeated, you're wrong, we're smart and will always come out on top!
Cause all we did to make this record a hit
What we did to make this song successful was simple
Was turn down the treble, pump up the bass kit
We just turned down the treble and increased the bass
At the same time the volume was increased
We increased the volume as well
Adding more strength, to this masterpiece
This made the song even more powerful and superb
Of poetry, by now you know it's me
This is my poetry and style that you're listening to by now
Poet, creativity, pushin, to out destiny
I am a poet and have a lot of creativity to push me to success
I am on the M-I-C, Jeffery is the Disc Jockey
I am on the microphone, Jeff is on the turntables
? keep us company, the human beat box Ready C
Ready C, the human beat boxer, is accompanying us
Backed up by a family, and that is all we need
We're supported by our friends and family and that's all we require to succeed
So that we can be successful as we want to be
We strive to be as successful as we desire
The future is in front of me so here is a taste
The future is ahead of us, and I'm giving you a glimpse of our capabilities
Of the future of hip-hop Jeff, pump up the bass!
This is the future of hip-hop, Jeff, increase the bass!
Yo Jeff one more scratch man
Jeff, can you do one more scratching sound please!
Ready Rock C man, give Jeff a hand
Ready Rock C, can you give Jeff your support!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFFREY TOWNES, WILLARD C. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind