There are plenty of them. I made this thread based on one reason alone, the troubling thought that people think Jazzy Jeff is a laughable character in the hip hop community. This sums it up perfectly:
"I like to think of Jazzy Jeff as the hip-hop version of Allen Iverson: a guy whose public perception points in one direction, while amongst his peers, it's the polar opposite. Whoever coined the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" must've had Jeff in mind.
As DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, the duo of Jeffrey Townes and Will Smith released plenty of well-received material in the late '80s and early '90s. But the average American knows Jeff for his cameo appearances as Will's dimwitted pal on the popular '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." I kid you not, less than a month ago, a middle-aged coworker was flipping through my CD booklet. When he saw this album, he began laughing hysterically. "DJ Jazzy Jeff?! That goofy guy from 'Fresh Prince'?" He walked away reciting the show's well-known theme song. (Isn't it weird how EVERYONE seems to know the words to that?!)
This, in addition to the squeaky-clean subject matter of his musical work with Smith, causes Jeff to be lumped into the "pop rap" category, a kinder, gentler way of saying "no artistic credibility." But ask any true hip-hop head or industry insider about the Philly-bred DJ, and you'll hear an entirely different story. For starters, he's considered one of the greatest turntablists of all-time. Even if you're not particularly fond of the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince catalog, it's impossible to dispute the scratching skills demonstrated on those records. Secondly, he's widely respected for his keen musical ear, finding songs that have style, substance, and the ability to ignite a party. His hard-to-find, critically-acclaimed "Hip Hop Forever" compilation series, a collection of songs he personally feels are the best that hip-hop has to offer, are hungrily sought-after by industry hipsters."
He's one of the greatest turntablists ever along with QBert, Primo, Revolution, Cut Chemist, Chief Xcel, etc...
"I like to think of Jazzy Jeff as the hip-hop version of Allen Iverson: a guy whose public perception points in one direction, while amongst his peers, it's the polar opposite. Whoever coined the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" must've had Jeff in mind.
As DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, the duo of Jeffrey Townes and Will Smith released plenty of well-received material in the late '80s and early '90s. But the average American knows Jeff for his cameo appearances as Will's dimwitted pal on the popular '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." I kid you not, less than a month ago, a middle-aged coworker was flipping through my CD booklet. When he saw this album, he began laughing hysterically. "DJ Jazzy Jeff?! That goofy guy from 'Fresh Prince'?" He walked away reciting the show's well-known theme song. (Isn't it weird how EVERYONE seems to know the words to that?!)
This, in addition to the squeaky-clean subject matter of his musical work with Smith, causes Jeff to be lumped into the "pop rap" category, a kinder, gentler way of saying "no artistic credibility." But ask any true hip-hop head or industry insider about the Philly-bred DJ, and you'll hear an entirely different story. For starters, he's considered one of the greatest turntablists of all-time. Even if you're not particularly fond of the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince catalog, it's impossible to dispute the scratching skills demonstrated on those records. Secondly, he's widely respected for his keen musical ear, finding songs that have style, substance, and the ability to ignite a party. His hard-to-find, critically-acclaimed "Hip Hop Forever" compilation series, a collection of songs he personally feels are the best that hip-hop has to offer, are hungrily sought-after by industry hipsters."
He's one of the greatest turntablists ever along with QBert, Primo, Revolution, Cut Chemist, Chief Xcel, etc...
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