Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American DJ and producer. He was one half of the

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, along with

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

. He is credited, along with DJ Spinbad and DJ Cash Money, with popularizing the transformer scratch.

Early life and initial career

Townes was born on January 22, 1965, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Raised in the area, Townes developed a reputation and a following as a local 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 and ghostwriter. 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 Robert P ...

, "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 DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, 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 Rapping, 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 ...

in 1989 for " Parents Just Don't Understand", though their most successful single was " Summertime" which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Career

Acting

When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,'' 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), 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).

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, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince 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, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

ever presented in 1989 for " Parents Just Don't Understand". 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 The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, 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 music, soul ...

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

Musiq Soulchild Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by his stage name Musiq Soulchild (or simply Musiq; pronounced "music") is an American singer-songwriter. His music blends Rhythm and blues, R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and Gospel music, ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

the Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

, Raheem DeVaughn,

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, musician, 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 Carol ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

, Floetry, 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, mislaid, and abandoned property, lost articles th ...

'' and "Potnas" from his album '' Willennium''. His 2007 release ''

The Return of the Magnificent ''The Return of the Magnificent'' is the second studio album by DJ Jazzy Jeff. It was released via BBE and Rapster Records in 2007. It is the official follow-up to '' The Magnificent'' (2002). It includes guest appearances from CL Smooth, Big ...

'' featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including

CL Smooth Corey Brent Penn Sr. (born October 8, 1968), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapping, rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early life Corey Brent Penn Sr. was born on October 8, 1 ...

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American Rapping, rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influe ...

, Pos from

De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...

, Peedi Peedi (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''. 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 Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

. Townes was featured in the video game '' DJ Hero'' 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 ...

''. 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 ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority Records, Priority and Ruthless Records. It was Record producer, produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, a ...

''. In August 2017, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith performed two shows in Europe: MTV Summerblast Music Festival in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and the Livewire Festival in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

. In 2024, he went on tour with

New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block had ...

as a supporting act, alongside Paula Abdul, on The Magic Summer Tour (2024). In 2025, DJ Jazzy Jeff was announced as one of the remixers for the

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

theme, representing

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Personal life

DJ Jazzy Jeff married Lynette C. Jackson in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

on July 31, 2010. He has four children: two sons from a previous relationship, Cory Townes, who is also a DJ and actor/musician Amir Mitchell-Townes, and a son (Pleasant) and daughter (August) with Jackson.

Discography

Solo work as DJ Jazzy Jeff

*Unreleased album from

Sony Records Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation. Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the la ...

(1998) *One cut in ''Battle of DJs'' *''The Magnificent EP'' (2002) *'' 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'' ( BBE Records) (2006) *''The Return of The Magnificent EP'' (2007) *''

'' (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 was a British Home improvement center, home improvement and garden centre retailer that operated across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded by British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Belgian retailer GIB Group, GB-Inno ...

'' (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 creat ...

'' (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 from the soundtrack ''

Boyz n the Hood ''Boyz n the Hood'' is a 1991 American coming-of-age hood crime drama film written and directed by John Singleton in his feature directorial debut. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube (in his film debut), Morris Chestnut, and Laurence Fis ...

'' *1991: " Deep, Deep, Trouble" (with

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

) and the remixes from '' The Simpsons Sing the Blues'' *1997: "Jazzy Jeff's Theme" (from the album '' Nuyorican Soul'') *1998: "When to Stand Up" (featuring

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

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

(scratches; from the album ''

Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is a 1958 novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. It is Achebe's debut novel and was written when he was working at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. The novel was first published in London by Heinemann (publisher), ...

'') *2004: "Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Full Sole Remix)" (by Everything but the Girl; 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 is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

; 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 The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

; 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 on 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 the hip hop trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget C ...

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

(scratches; from the album ''

Eardrum In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pres ...

'') *2007: " A Long Walk" – Jill Scott (made a cameo appearance in the music video) *2008: "Get Busy" –

(scratches; from the album '' Rising Down'') *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 (featuring Big Pooh, Chaundon, and Phil Nash from the mixtape ''Re-Living Thing'' with Mick Boogie) *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 and DJ Jazzy Jeff) *2011: "No Strings (DJ Jazzy Jeff Roller Boogie Remix)" – Mayer Hawthorne *2012: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 3'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2012: "92 Til Infinity" –

Mac Miller Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known by the stage name Mac Miller, was an American rapper. He began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop music, hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed ...

*2012: "Girl of My Life" –

Mint Condition Mint Condition is an American R&B band from St. Paul, Minnesota. The band is focused on diverse genres such as jazz, hip hop, funk and dance. Mint Condition has also been nominated for one Grammy and three Soul Train Awards. The group is cr ...

(scratches; from the album '' Music @ the Speed of Life'') *2013: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 4'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2013: "Classic" –

Shad The Alosidae, or the shads, are a family (biology), family of clupeiform fishes. The family currently comprises four genera worldwide, and about 32 species. The shads are Pelagic fish, pelagic (open water) schooling fish, of which many are anadr ...

(co-production with Skratch Bastid; 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 Remix" – Moonchild *2014: ''Summertime: The Mixtape Vol. 5'' – DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK *2014: "World is Our Playground (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)" – DJ Vice *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 James Poyser (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 African-American male actors 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 rappers 21st-century American male rappers African-American record producers African-American songwriters American hip-hop DJs American hip-hop record producers 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