Happy birthday to one of the most underrated figures in hip-hop: Jeffrey Allen Townes AKA DJ Jazzy Jeff. Music Times felt that the DJ deserved a shout-out on his 50th anniversary. How is he one of the most underrated hip-hoppers? For one thing he was the DJ and the guys with the microphones nearly always get an undue level of credit. Secondly, he was the DJ for Will "the Fresh Prince" Smith, who was bound to be the center of attention no matter what he does. Third, Jeff wasn't just a famous DJ...he was a highly influential one as well. Music Times has gathered five songs from the DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince catalogue that showcase the other guy in the group.
01) "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff" (1986)
Prior to finding major fame and releasing their debut album Rock The House during 1987, there was a time when the DJ in the group could get just as much respect as the emcee. Smith obviously rocked the mic for the pair's "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble," but Jeff got the whole second single to himself during 1986 with "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff." No track has done more for his career, both as a beatmaker for Fresh Prince or in terms of respect from the world of turntable-heads, than this track. The high point is Jeff's use of transformer scratching, a method where the DJ moves the record by hand while also moving the turntable's crossfader. The process has been widely credited to Jeff and some even suggest the use of James Brown's "The Funky Drummer" at the end of the song was the first example of sampling. The jury's out on that last claim, but it goes to show his influence.
02) "Brand New Funk" (1988)
It's always nice of vocalists to give a shout-out to those working the instrumentals behind them because, as we mentioned, they don't get enough credit. Smith builds this entire concept into a single for the duo's 1988 album He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper (which unto itself is a shout out of sorts). The content of Smith's lyrics deals with the beat crafted by Jeff being just too sick not to share, and then he grants plenty of showcase time for the man behind the turntable to demonstrate his skills as a scratcher.
03) "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" (1988)
As we mentioned before, "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" was already a hit during 1986, but the label brought it back as a single following Jeff and Will's rise to popularity. This version comes with a bit more work from both of its stars, giving Jeff a speaking role when he questions the Fresh Prince at the end of the track and references the act's last two smash hits ("Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Nightmare on My Street"). Regardless of the origins of sampling (we go back to David Byrne and Brian Eno), Jazzy's use of the I Dream of Jeannie theme is a hit.
04) "Jazzy's Groove" (1989)
This was another track where Smith devoted all of his time to praising his partner in crime and essentially calling out the rest of the DJs in the game. Although Jeff had made numerous progressions to the form since he started, he went back to an old favorite for "Jazzy's Groove," incorporating Bob James' "Nautilus," one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop history, to his beat. The highlight however is when he gives what Smith labels "a math lesson," taking a sample of voice counting "one, two, three" and manipulating by hand so that the voice does basic addition like "one plus one is two" and "one plus two is three."
05) "Boom! Shake The Room" (1993)
The last LP that DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince released as a duo was 1993's Code Red, an album that veered from the "softer" sound of the group's previous work. Considering that Smith only cursed once during his time in the group, it's no surprise that the brunt of the work fell upon Jeff to make the raps sound "harder." He didn't change his modus operandi very much, still relying heavily on jazz and soul samples. The heavier sound didn't turn away the duo's audience, as "Boom! Shake The Room" still got to no. 13 on the Hot 100 and reached no. 1 in the UK and Australia.
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