Jazzy Jeff

Popular hip hop duo composed of Jeff Townes AKA DJ Jazzy Jeff (b. Jeffrey A. Townes, 22 January 1965, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) and Will Smith AKA The Fresh Prince (b. Willard Christopher Smith Jr., 25 September 1968, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA).
Jazzy Jeff started DJing in the mid-1970's when he was a mere 10 years old, (though he is not to be confused with the similarly-titled Jazzy Jeff who cut an album, also for Jive, in 1985).
Together with Will Smith , they became the first rap act to receive a Grammy Award for their second 12" single "Parents Just Don't Understand".
Meanwhile, Jeff founded "A Touch Of Jazz Inc", a stable of producers working on rap/R&B projects. The duo picked up a second Grammy for "Summertime" in 1991, before scoring a shock UK number 1 in 1993 with "Boom! Shake The Room".

In retrospect, the point at which Will Smith went too far was with 1999's "Freakin' It," on which, over samples from "Love Hangover" and "Rapper's Delight," he boasted of his movie earnings, defended himself against charges of being a "soft" rapper, and criticized his peers. It was hard to dispute any of his arguments (though the citation of the American Music Awards as an example of his superiority seemed a bit of a stretch), but the song also emphasized in the wrong way, as far as fans were concerned how far Smith had come from Philadelphia, and it flopped. After that, his movies and records had to struggle more for attention.

Celebrating two decades of Barely Breaking Even, iconic independent record label BBE presents ‘Attitude, Belief & Determination’, a special 20th anniversary compilation. Spread over three discs, the album takes its name from one of the label’s best-loved releases, an obscure masterpiece by Martin L. Dumas. Featuring classic material from BBE luminaries J Dilla, John Morales, Jazzy Jeff and many more, this collection sums up the eclectic and forward-thinking nature of BBE’s catalogue; from 70’s Ghanaian funk, to a soulful hip hop cut featuring a young rapper named Drake. Whether you’re already a fan or discovering BBE for the first time, this wonderful collection is sure to delight, educate and inspire.

All-star albums are usually dodgy affairs, but the over-arching talents and, more importantly, production experience of Masters at Work's Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vega keep Nuyorican Soul from being overburdened with cooks. Roy Ayers, George Benson, and Jazzy Jeff contribute prominently to four tracks, and vocalists Jocelyn Brown and India (Vega's wife) are heard as well, but over half of the album is comprised of instrumental tracks several which include Tito Puente on vibes and timbales, flutist Dave Valentin, trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda, organist/arranger Hilton Ruiz, and trombonist Steve Turre. In keeping with Masters at Work's heritage, most of the album is Latin in feel and jazzy in composition, but with ever-present synths and piano runs that belie their heavy dance heritage. Not that it's a crowded field, but Nuyorican Soul is one of the best all-star dance albums ever recorded.

20 CD Box Set. All Original Recordings from the 60s, 70s, 80s. Released by BMG in 1995.