| DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | |
|---|---|
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Origin |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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Genre |
Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, new jack swing |
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Years active |
1986-1994 |
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Label |
Word-Up, Jive |
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Past members |
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DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was an American hip hop group from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rapper The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) met DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeff Townes) while trying to make a name for himself in West Philadelphia's local hip hop scene. They had a support live member named Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) who was not officially credited to the duo and ended up leaving the group later in 1990.
The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand", but their most successful single was "Summertime" which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Will Smith and Jeff Townes are still friends and claim that they never split, having continued collaborating together and releasing songs under Smith's solo performer credit. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince have sold over 5.5 million albums in the United States alone.