MC Jazzy Jeff | |
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Born | Jeffrey Miree July 7, 1962 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Rapper |
Years active | 1979–2002 |
Jeffrey Miree (born July 7, 1962), also known as MC Jazzy Jeff, is an American rapper and member of the Funky 4 + 1 who was active from 1979 to 2002. [1]
He is sometimes referred to as Original M.C. Jazzy Jeff, in order to indicate that he preceded [2] DJ Jazzy Jeff from Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Miree began his career in 1976 with hip hop group Funky 4 + 1. [2] They were the first hip hop group to perform on national television ( Saturday Night Live ) performing their hit "That's the Joint" in 1981. After splitting up in 1983, MC Jazzy Jeff signed a solo deal with Jive Records and recorded the album On Fire (1985). [2] The track "King Heroin" became a moderate success. [2] His second album, which was completed in 1987, was never released by the label. That same year Jive Records signed Jeffrey Townes and Will Smith, better known then as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. [2] A year later, I'm the DJ, He's the Rapper – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's debut album – was on sale. [3]
In 1994, MC Jazzy Jeff sued Jive Records and he won a lawsuit over the rights over the name Jazzy Jeff.[ citation needed ]
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith and disc jockey Jeff Townes. Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasionally thereafter, they scored a string of light-hearted, inoffensive, and humorous hit singles.
Jeffrey Allen Townes, known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff, is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Will Smith. He is credited, along with DJs Spinbad and Cash Money, with making the transformer scratch famous.
Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eastmond. Besides their musical careers, they are also notable for branching out into acting.
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 point the award was split into two categories: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. These two categories were combined again in 2012 as a result of a restructure of Grammy categories, and the reinstated Award for Best Rap Performance was presented at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. The restructuring was the consequence of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the number of categories and awards and to eliminate distinctions between solo and duo or group performances.
Melvin Glover, better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel is an American hip hop recording artist who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, a.k.a. Grandmaster Dee.
Nemesis is an American hip-hop group formed in Dallas, Texas in the 1980s. Members of the group included MC Azim, DJ Snake, Big Al, Joe Macc and Ron C. They are considered the first rap group from Dallas to enjoy popularity in the US and world-wide, thanks to their label, Profile Records. This label was well known for bringing out many popular East Coast hip hop releases including Run-DMC, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, and Dana Dane. Originally, Nemesis was called "Sumthin Fresh" with group members included rappers MC Azim aka Lawrence Azim Rashid, Bhumble Bee, and Eazy Roque aka Charles Roquemore. They were later joined by DJ Snake aka Don Brown, Big Al aka Al English, Casanova Rock, and MC AC. The rappers from Hamilton Park, MC AC From Oak Cliff, and the DJs from Oak Cliff became part of the Dallas, Texas underground rap scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Known for their funk-structured compositions and loud bass lines, the group debuted with the single "Oak Cliff" in 1987, and followed up with several albums on Profile Records from 1989-1995.
Rock the House is the debut album from the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The album was released on April 7, 1987 in Europe and the United States, and was subsequently re-issued in 1988 in Europe and the United Kingdom. Three tracks from the album were released as singles: "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", "A Touch of Jazz" and "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble". When the album was released on CD in 1988, the rerecorded version of "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble", which was released as a single after He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper ran its course, replaced the original 1986 recording.The art work for the Album cover was done by a local Philadelphia Artist Charles Gossett.
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper is the second studio album by hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It was the first double album in hip hop music, in its original vinyl incarnation.
Homebase is the fourth studio album released by hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The album was released on July 23, 1991, reaching number 12 on the Billboard 200 charts and number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It received generally favorable reviews from critics. The album was certified Platinum and won an American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album in 1992.
Code Red is the fifth and final studio album by the American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, released on October 12, 1993 on Jive Records. The album peaked at number sixty-four on the Billboard 200 and number thirty-nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. On January 14, 1994, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album gold. Four singles reached the Billboard charts; "Boom! Shake the Room", "I'm Looking for the One ","I Wanna Rock", and "Can't Wait to Be With You".
"Boom! Shake the Room" is a song by American hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The track samples the 1973 song "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players. Released on July 16, 1993, as the second single from the duo's fifth studio album, Code Red, the single peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts of Australia, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Funky 4 + 1 was an American hip hop group from The Bronx, New York, composed of Jazzy Jeff, Sharon Green, D.J. Breakout, Guy Williams, Keith Keith, The Voice of K.K. and Rodney Stone. The latter two members also performed together as the duo Double Trouble, notably in the film Wild Style. They were the first hip hop group to receive a record deal, as well as the first to perform live on national television. The group was also notable for being the first to have a woman MC, Sha-Rock.
"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 songs to do so before the award was discontinued in 1991. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was released as a single in spring 1988. The song was referenced several times in the television show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. The song was ranked number 96 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop, and featured in The Parent Trap, Malibu's Most Wanted and Jersey Girl. A sample of the opening to Peter Frampton's "Won't you be my friend?" can be heard at the beginning and all throughout the song.
"Summertime" is a song by American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It was released in May 1991 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Homebase. The song was produced by Chicago-based producers Hula and K. Fingers, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1992 Grammy Awards. It spent a week at number #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, as well as reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the duo's first single to enter the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #8.
"A Nightmare on My Street" is the third single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's second studio album, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. The song became a crossover hit in the US, reaching #15 on the Hot 100. The song was released as a single in early 1988. The single was released on vinyl and audio cassette tape. The song humorously describes an encounter with the horror film villain Freddy Krueger and was considered for inclusion in the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, but the producers of the film decided against its inclusion.
"Yo Home to Bel-Air", informally known as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme", is a song performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It is the theme song to the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Lyrics were composed by sitcom star Will Smith, performing under his stage name "The Fresh Prince", and the song was produced by Jeffrey Townes under his stage name "DJ Jazzy Jeff".
This article lists albums that were released or distributed by JIVE Records.
Survival of the Fittest is the debut album by jazz/funk quintet the Headhunters, released in 1975 on Arista Records. It features the stand out track "God Make Me Funky", in which its drum break has been sampled numerous times by prominent rappers. The album was re-issued on compact disc by BMG France in 2001, which was digitally remastered from the original master tapes in 24-bit by Jean-Pierre Chalbos.
The discography of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince consists of five studio albums, four compilations and 18 singles.