He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper

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One of those rare moments where a mainstream hit goes onto preface years of creative talent to come – even though the whole thing might have seemed like a bit of a one-off at the time! The young Will Smith is fantastic as the Fresh Prince – full of charm, at a level that really upped the game for so many other MCs at the time – especially because both his lyrics and his subject matter weren't maybe the most cutting-edge, but could really come over strong, thanks to the inherent stardom in his presentation! We could well argue that Will on the album introduced the whole idea of a crossover hip hop star – one able to do just about anything – but the whole record would be nothing without the creative skills of Jazzy Jeff – who went the complete opposite way after his pairing with Will – more expressive, more experimental – and even more firmly committed to the underground. Yet it was also that easy bridge between underground and fame that made early hip hop albums like this so great – as Jeff brings forward so many great musical moments on titles that include "Live At Union Square", "DJ On The Wheels", "My Buddy", "Rhythm Trax House Party Style", "He's The DJ I'm The Rapper", "Hip Hop Dancers Theme", "Jazzy's In The House", and "Human Video Game".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.