Xpress Interview

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DJ JAZZY JEFF Still Magnificent

While best known to many as Jazz, the streetwise character on TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air who would often find himself thrown out of the Banks mansion by Uncle Phil; Jeff Townes, AKA DJ Jazzy Jeff, is a legendary hip hop DJ and producer. The Philadelphia native speaks with JOSHUA HAYES about his new album Return of the Magnificent (out now through Inertia).

DJ Jazzy Jeff’s stellar list of accomplishments includes selling 14 million records and winning three Grammies with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, production credits for Michael Jackson, Eminem and Jill Scott, and a critically acclaimed self produced solo album, 2002’s The Magnificent. On his new album however, he is trying to go back to where he started, even designing a new studio to capture a particular feeling.

“My main goal was to kinda go back to my Mum’s basement, you know, where I made a lot of the original stuff,” explains Townes, referring to his early work with Will Smith. “It was a mindset that when I was in my Mum’s basement that it wasn’t about my equipment, it was just about being creative. I didn’t have a lot of the responsibilities that life kinda puts on you, so before I started I said I want to design a 2007 ‘my mum’s basement’, and that was the mindset, and, you know, it worked perfectly, I was able to kinda go in the studio and just lose myself and create whatever I wanted to create.”

Recognised as one of the all time great DJs; DJ Jazzy Jeff has been inducted into the DMC Hall of Fame, however he doesn’t get as much recognition for his production. “I’ve always looked at myself as a very different kind of producer,” reflects Townes. “I really respect a guy like Pete Rock and Premier that can basically go in the studio with anyone… I have to be really comfortable with someone to work with them.”

DJ Jazzy Jeff handles all the production and turntablism on Return of the Magnificent and, working from a list of artists that he obviously felt comfortable with, was able to tick off every name but KRS-One (who was unable to contribute due to scheduling conflicts). The result is a guest list that spans from some of hip hop’s current hottest names like Rhymefest and Jean Grae to legends like Big Daddy Kane and Method Man. Some of the artists Townes had known for years, but never had the opportunity to work with. “It was great, you know, because a lot of the time was just reminiscing and talking about how things are in the industry, how things were, so that was really great, that was really great, loved it.”

To further capture the feeling of “Mum’s basement”, Townes even utilised samples already made familiar by other hip hop artists, reusing drum breaks from De La Soul’s Potholes in my Lawn and Gang Starr’s Manifest on Supa Jean (with Jean Grae) and Jeff n Fess (with Rhymefest) respectively. “It was a bit of a throwback feel on some of the songs, just to the era of hip hop that a lot of people really love and miss, and that was intentional on Supa Jean and the Jeff & Fess record,” says Townes. Even one of his own hits as a part of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince gets reworked, as Philadelphia rapper Peedi Crakk fills in for Will Smith on Brand New Funk 2K7.

His connection with Will Smith is the subject of a running skit through Return of the Magnificent as, while on a road trip to Atlanta, Jeff is asked “Where’s Will Smith at?” This leads to him quizzing Will over the phone on whether he is asked where DJ Jazzy Jeff “is at”. He isn’t, however Smith’s presence on the skit shows that although he has moved on to Hollywood the pair remain close.

“Our chemistry is incredible, you know, it’s funny because periodically we’ll get together and do shows and a lot of the guys that will go on the road with me are really blown away,” says Townes. “Maybe two years ago Will called me and he was on his way to Australia, and I was in Spain and he was like “listen, you know, I want you to do this show with me in Australia”, and I said OK and he sent me a plane ticket and I flew pretty much 28 straight hours to get to Sydney and they were blown away that we sat in a room and talked for 15 minutes, and that was our rehearsal… It was just like, you know, when we work together so long, so closely, that it’s almost like we don’t need a rehearsal.”

Since getting his start with Will Smith over 20 years ago, he often gets approached by people who tell him he is the reason they became DJs. Jeff however didn’t have that, simply citing the power of the DJ as his influence. “I started at a very early age, and I used to go to the block parties in Philly where the DJ would have giant stacks of speakers and it would be hundreds and hundreds of people, and it would be really wild to watch how he basically controlled everything through the music he’s playing, and I used to just sit there in awe,” he says. “That was it, that hooked me; I said I wanted to be that guy, so I don’t think it was so much of a DJ that inspired me as much as it was the power of the DJ.”

Posted on June 6, 2007 03:18 PM

http://www.xpressmag.com.au/archives/2007/...azzy_jeff_s.php

[KevTastic]

That was a cool one.

[ant1]

Good read thanks, man Jeff's doing a lot of interviews lately haha.

[DefCEM]

Nice read, thanks Tim!