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.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air
DJ Jazzy Jeff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air
In west Philadelphia born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suit case and sent me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
I put my Walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.
First class, yo this is bad
Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass.
Is this what the people of Bel-Air living like?
Hmm this might be alright.
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that
Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat?
I don't think so
I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air
Well, the plane landed and when I came out
There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out
I ain't trying to get arrested yet
I just got here
I sprang with the quickness like lightning, disappeared
I whistled for a cab and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I could say that this cab was rare
But I thought 'Nah, forget it' - 'Yo, homes to Bel Air'
I pulled up to the house about seven or eigth
And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air
The Fresh Prince Theme by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince is a popular and catchy theme song that narrates the story of an everyday teenager whose life is turned upside down. As the song begins, the singer describes the sudden turn of events that leads to his life changing in a significant area. He then proceeds to describe how he was born and raised in West Philadelphia and spent most of his time playing basketball outside his school.
However, after getting involved in a fight with some troublemakers in his neighborhood, his mother decides to send him away to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel Air. The singer initially feels apprehensive about his new life in Bel Air and wonders if he'll fit in with the "prissy, bourgeois" people living there. Nevertheless, he takes a cab to his new home and is amazed by what he sees: a mansion with all the luxuries a teenager could wish for.
Overall, the lyrics of The Fresh Prince Theme are witty and humorous, appealing to listeners of all ages. It's a song that narrates a classic story of a regular teenager's journey from a modest background to a life of luxury and prestige in a different town.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, this is a story all about how
Let me tell you a tale of how my life got turned around
My life got flipped-turned upside down
My life changed dramatically
And I'd like to take a minute
Give me some attention
Just sit right there
Stay where you are
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air
I'll explain how I became part of the royalty in Bel Air
In west Philadelphia born and raised
I was born and raised in West Philadelphia
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
I used to spend a lot of time on the playground
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
I was relaxing and enjoying myself
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
I used to play basketball outside the school
When a couple of guys who were up to no good
Some guys started causing trouble
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
They started causing problems in my area
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
I got into a small fight and my mom became worried
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'
My mom decided to send me to live with my relatives in Bel Air
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
I kept begging and pleading with my mom
But she packed my suit case and sent me on my way
She decided to pack my suitcase and send me off
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
She gave me a goodbye kiss and my travel ticket
I put my Walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.
I decided to listen to music and enjoy the ride
First class, yo this is bad
I found myself in first class and was impressed
Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass.
I was drinking orange juice in a fancy glass
Is this what the people of Bel-Air living like?
I wondered if this is how people lived in Bel Air
Hmm this might be alright.
I thought it might be a good experience
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that
I heard they were pretentious and high class
Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat?
I wondered if this is an appropriate place for a cool person like me
I don't think so
I doubted it
I'll see when I get there
I'll confirm once I arrive
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air
I hope they're ready to welcome the royalty of Bel Air
Well, the plane landed and when I came out
The plane landed and I got out
There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out
A man, who looked like a cop, was holding my name sign
I ain't trying to get arrested yet
I didn't want to get arrested at that moment
I just got here
I had just arrived
I sprang with the quickness like lightning, disappeared
I quickly moved away and disappeared
I whistled for a cab and when it came near
I signaled for a cab and it arrived
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
The taxi had a license plate that read 'fresh' and dice in the mirror
If anything I could say that this cab was rare
This was an unusual or rare cab
But I thought 'Nah, forget it' - 'Yo, homes to Bel Air'
I didn't mind, and said, 'Hey, take me to Bel Air'
I pulled up to the house about seven or eigth
I arrived at a house around seven or eight
And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I yelled goodbye to the cab driver
I looked at my kingdom
I surveyed my new home
I was finally there
I had finally arrived
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air
To claim my position as the Prince of Bel Air
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFFREY TOWNES, WILLARD C. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shandelkubera4315
Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I liked to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air
In west Philadelphia born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suite case and send me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
I put my walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.
First class, yo this is bad
Drinking orang juice out of a champagne glass.
Is this what the people of Bel-Air Living like?
Hmm this might be alright.
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that
Is Bel-Air the type of place they send this cool cat?
I don't think so
I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air
Well uh the plane landed and when I came out
There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out
I ain't trying to get arrested yet
I just got here
I sprang with the quickness like lightening, disappeared
I whistled for a cab and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this cab is rare
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo homes to Bel Air'
I pulled up to the house about seven or eight
And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo, homes smell ya later'
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air
@ramseyabdul1873
As a child, it never registered, to me, just how amazing this song is. This beat is so sick.
@lilylikessquidgame72
For sure! The show and the theme song is pretty dope.
@Trollstarz
80s music..now we need the Kodak remix
@beckybecky125
This is the true meaning of "It's Rewind Time".
@novemberlycameron3287
creeps the thing this deserves more likes
@corpsegaming8340
Well maybe
@RSTVLNZ
Wow
@brokenbeats3137
Yep except I was raised as an oldie kid when i was born in 2005
@cocochava5460
Yo I'm 11
@melisdead5271
I’m gonna come back in 5 years to see my comment saying 5 years ago