Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

with

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

. He is credited, along with DJs Spinbad and Cash Money, with making the transformer scratch famous.

Early life and initial career

Townes was born on January 22, 1965, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Early on, he developed a reputation and a following as a school and

block party A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which ofte ...

DJ. He was ten years old when he first became interested in being a DJ. He told author

Paul Stenning Paul David Stenning (born 12 June 1976) is an English author, ghostwriter and poet. He has written twenty-nine books, of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and biography. The best-known of his books is ''The Robert Pattinson Album'', a biography of Ro ...

, "At summer time block parties I wouldn't be the one dancing, I sat where the DJ was set up, watching him. Even when I would go to other block parties in other neighborhoods I was still infatuated with the DJ. He was the guy that played music that everyone in the neighborhood loved. You might not have known his face, you might not have known his name but he was the guy that made everyone move." He took the stage name DJ Jazzy Jeff. He was one half of the duo

, along with

. The group received the first

Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which po ...

in 1989 for "

Parents Just Don't Understand "Parents Just Don't Understand" is the second single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's second studio album, '' He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper''. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, one of the two so ...

", though their most successful single was " Summertime" which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streamin ...

Career

Acting

When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

,'' Jazzy Jeff played a character named Jazz, Smith's best friend on the show. Jazzy Jeff was initially a recurring character in the first season, but became a regular shortly thereafter. In the early seasons, the two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back, snap with both characters saying "Pssh!"). A running joke throughout the show's run involved the character being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (

James Avery James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Shredder in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Judge Michael Conover on '' L ...

), most often using the same footage for comedic effect, but sometimes filming new footage instead. Jazz had an unrequited crush on Hillary Banks (played by Karyn Parsons). Jeffrey Allen Townes aka Dj Jazzy Jeff

Music

One of the first records DJ Jazzy Jeff ever appeared on was with the Korner Boyz (Street Artz Records) and their songs "Bust the Move" and "The Saga of Roxanne", which featured legendary Philadelphia rappers MC Parry P and Grand Tone. The instrumental was called "Jazzy Jeff Scratch" (1985). As a duo,

had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

ever presented in 1989 for "

". At the time of winning the Grammy Award, DJ Jazzy Jeff came home crying as he had just $500 in the bank. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince also won a second Grammy for " Summertime". After DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke up, Townes went on to become a prominent R&B,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

, and

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

record producer, establishing the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia. Among the artists that Jazzy Jeff has helped develop are

Eric Roberson Eric Roberson (born September 27, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, former rapper and music producer. He is sometimes referred to simply as Erro, the name which he later used as part of his label Blue Erro Soul. His first single, "Represen ...

, Jill Scott,

Musiq Soulchild Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by the stage name Musiq Soulchild or simply Musiq (pronounced "music") is an American singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and gospel influences fused w ...

, Eminem, the Roots, Raheem DeVaughn,

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Ca ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...

Floetry Floetry were an English R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius ("The Songstress") and Natalie Stewart ("The Floacist"). The group recorded two studio albums and one live album and sold over 1,500,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1997 Floetry star ...

, Rhymefest, and many more. Despite separating from

as a music partner, they remain close friends and occasionally work together. Some songs by Smith were produced by Townes, and he has performed on some songs by Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas". In addition, he appeared in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K" and "Freakin' It". On some occasions, he made appearances with Smith at live concerts, producing DJ scratches. On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. Moreover, Smith acknowledges him in his music such as "Comin' to the Stage" from the album ''

Lost and Found A lost and found (American English) or lost property (British English), or lost articles (also Canadian English) is an office in a public building or area where people can go to retrieve lost articles that may have been found by others. Frequen ...

'' and "Potnas" from his album '' Willennium''. His 2007 release '' The Return of the Magnificent'' featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including

CL Smooth Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Career After the duo Pete Rock & CL S ...

, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul,

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of ...

Peedi Peedi Pedro Louis Zayas (born September 25, 1977), known as Peedi Crakk and Peedi Peedi, is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of State Property and is currently signed to Amalgam Digital and G-Unit Philly. Career The North ...

(a remake of "Brand New Funk"), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn. In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in a video directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest. In 2008, Townes performed with Smith at the premiere of the latter's 2008 film ''

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

''. In 2009, he made a mixtape titled ''He's the King...I'm the DJ'' in honor of the late entertainer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

. Townes was featured in the video game ''

DJ Hero ''DJ Hero'' is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the '' Guitar Hero'' franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe. The g ...

'' as a playable character. He also has some original mixes in the game. In 2010, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick (formerly known as Mick Boogie) teamed up to release the ''Summertime: The Mixtape'' series. The mixes are released every summer. In 2013, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Will Smith on ''

The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...

''. Also that same year, DJ Jazzy Jeff released ''Vinyl Destination'', a web series documenting his hundred plus DJ shows from all around the world. He also appeared as the lead interview in

's book ''Success – By Those Who've Made It''. In 2015, he performed the scratch overdubs for the film '' Straight Outta Compton''. In August 2017, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith performed two shows in Europe: MTV Summerblast Music Festival in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and the Livewire Festival in Blackpool.

Personal life

DJ Jazzy Jeff married Lynette C. Jackson in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

on July 31, 2010. He has four children: two sons from a previous relationship including actor Amir Mitchell-Townes, and a son and daughter with Lynette.

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) *''Hip-Hop Forever II'' (Rapster Records) (2004) *''The Soul Mixtape'' (Groovin' Records USA) (2005) *''

Hip-Hop Forever III ''Hip-Hop Forever III'' is the third compilation album in the "Hip-Hop Forever" series by DJ Jazzy Jeff, an American hip hop producer. The mix is available with or without an accompanying unmixed disc containing the same tracks. Track listing ...

'' (BBE Records) (2006) *''The Return of The Magnificent EP'' (2007) *'' The Return of the Magnificent'' (2007) #55 US (Gold) *''The Return of Hip Hop EP'' (2007) * ''House of Tribes (T's Box)'' (2009) * ''My Faves Volume 1'' (mixtape) (2009) * ''DJ Jazzy Jeff presents: Jeff's in the House Vol. 1'' (mixtape) (2010) * ''What Happens in Vegas'' (mixtape) (2011) * ''LRG Life Colors'' (mixtape) (2012) * M3 (album) (2018)

As DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

*'' Rock the House'' (1987) #83 US (Gold); #97 UK *'' He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper'' (1988) #4 US (3× Platinum); #68 UK *'' And in This Corner…'' (1989) #39 US (Gold) *''

Homebase Homebase is a British home improvement retailer and garden centre with stores across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Founded by Sainsbury's and GB-Inno-BM in 1979, the company was owned by Home Retail Group from October 2006, un ...

'' (1991) #12 US (Platinum); #69 UK *'' Code Red'' (1993) #64 US (Gold); #50 UK *''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' (1998) #144 US, #20 UK *''Before The Willennium'' (1999) *''The Very Best of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince'' (2006)

Miscellaneous

*1991: "Work It Out" with

Monie Love Simone Johnson or Simone Gooden (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is a British rapper, actress and radio personality from London. Best known for her singles during the late–1980s through the 1990s, Monie Love curr ...

from the soundtrack '' Boyz n the Hood'' *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 Nuyorican Soul is an American music group from New York City, New York. It was formed by Little Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. In 1996, the group released "Runaway". The single reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs char ...

'') *1998: "When to Stand Up" (featuring Eminem) *1998: "I Don't Know" – Slum Village (scratches; from the album '' Fantastic, Vol. 2'') *1999: "The Next Movement" – The Roots (scratches; from the album ''

Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...

'') *2004: "Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Full Sole Remix)" (by

Everything but the Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Wat ...

; from the album ''Adapt or Die: 10 Years of Remixes'') *2005: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kuzma Solefull Mix)" (by

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

; from '' Motown Remixed'') *2005: '' Lost & Found'' (by

; produced the intro song "Here He Comes" and several DJ scratches on several tracks) *2005: "Watch Me" – Little Brother (scratches; from the album '' The Minstrel Show'') *2006: "Feel It (Jazzy Jeff Soulful Remix)" (by

The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hi ...

; from '' Renegotiations: The Remixes'') *2006: "Night in Tunisia (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)" (by

Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regul ...

) *2006: "Foot in the Door" –

Oddisee Amir Mohamed el Khalifa (born February 24, 1985), better known by his stage name Oddisee, is an American rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of rap trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew. He is ...

(mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff) *2007: "NY Weather Report" –

(scratches; from the album '' Eardrum'') *2007: " A Long Walk" – Jill Scott (made a cameo appearance in the music video) *2008: "Get Busy" – The Roots (scratches; from the album ''

Rising Down ''Rising Down'' is the eighth studio album by the American hip hop band The Roots, released on April 28, 2008, on Def Jam Recordings. The album's title is adapted from William T. Vollmann's book '' Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Viol ...

'') *2008: "Bring It Back" – Rhymefest (producer; from the album '' El Che'') *2009: "Prince in Training" – MaC Renegade (hosted by DJ Jazzy Jeff) *2009: "Stay This Way (Jazzy Jeff Remix)" – by

Peter Bjorn and John Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie pop/ rock band formed in Stockholm in 1999, named after the first names of the band's members: Peter Morén (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Erik ...

(featuring

Big Pooh Thomas Louis Jones III (born February 12, 1980), better known by his stage name Big Pooh (or Rapper Big Pooh), is an American rapper, who, along with fellow rap artist Phonte, is a member of the acclaimed North Carolina hip hop group Little Bro ...

, Chaundon, and Phil Nash from the mixtape ''Re-Living Thing'' with

Mick Boogie Mick Batyske, known by his stage name DJ MICK (also sometimes styled as MICK) and formerly Mick Boogie, is an American DJ and entrepreneur. He is an A-list DJ and spun private parties for celebrities including Kanye West, LeBron James, Jay-Z a ...

) *2010: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 1'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2011: ''Back for More'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah *2011: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 2'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2011: "Shorti Bomb" – DJ Sat-One (with

Chief Kamachi The JuJu Mob (originally credited as ''Chief Kamachi & The JuJu Mob'') is a four-member underground hip hop group originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was founded in 2004.Matt Jost, Chief Kamachi & the JuJu Mob :: Black Candles ...

and DJ Jazzy Jeff) *2011: "No Strings (DJ Jazzy Jeff Roller Boogie Remix)" –

Mayer Hawthorne Andrew Mayer Cohen (born February 2, 1979), better known by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Cohen performs a ...

*2012: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 3'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2012: "92 Til Infinity" – Mac Miller *2012: "Girl of My Life" – Mint Condition (scratches; from the album '' Music @ the Speed of Life'') *2013: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 4'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2013: "Classic" – Shad (co-production with

Skratch Bastid Paul Murphy (born September 2, 1982), better known by his stage name Skratch Bastid, is a Canadian DJ and record producer. He is a three-time Scribble Jam DJ Battle winner. He is the first-ever Canadian DJ to be nominated for the Juno Award for Pro ...

; from the EP ''The Spring Up'') *2013: "Red Hot Flo (From Kokomo) (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)" – from '' Boardwalk Empire'' *2013: "Be Free (DJ Jazzy Jeff &

James Poyser James Jason Poyser is an American songwriter, record producer, musician and current member of the hip hop band The Roots. Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists such as Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, ...

Remix" – Moonchild *2014: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 5'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2014: "World is Our Playground (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)" –

DJ Vice Eric Aguirre also known as Vice (born 13 October 1978) is an American DJ. He is signed to Creative Artists Agency. Early life Born in Los Angeles, California, Vice discovered his passion for spinning records at the age of 12, when he bought his ...

*2014: "We Are One (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)" – Terry Hunter (featuring Jay Adams) *2014: "Room Test" – Dayne Jordan (producer) *2014: "All About the Art" – Dayne Jordan and

(producer) *2014: "I Want It All" – Dayne Jordan (producer) *2014: "Play Dat!" – DJ Jazzy Jeff featuring Dayne Jordan *2014: "Lost" – Dayne Jordan (producer) *2014: "Fellow" – Dayne Jordan (producer) *2015: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 6'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2016: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 7'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2017: "Chasing Goosebumps" – The PLAYlist (executive producer) *2017: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 8'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2020: "Gotta Be Dope" R.A. The Rugged Man feat. A-F-R-O and DJ Jazzy Jeff

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jazzy Jeff, Dj 1965 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American rappers African-American DJs African-American male actors African-American male rappers African-American record producers African-American songwriters American hip hop DJs Ableton Live users American hip hop record producers American male rappers American male songwriters American male television actors Grammy Award winners for rap music Male actors from Philadelphia Rappers from Philadelphia Record producers from Pennsylvania Songwriters from Pennsylvania Barely Breaking Even artists