A Touch of Jazzy Class

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On Australian shores for an appearance at the first ever Australian Urban Music Awards, as well as his own shows across the country, Jazzy Jeff is a true pioneer of the hip hop scene. Hailing from Philadelphia in the USA, he broke through with Hollywood megastar Will Smith as ‘Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’, attaining a level of commercial success most artists can only dream of. ITM finds out his opinion on the current state of hip-hop, and where he hopes to see it go in the future.

Firstly I’d like to say an emphatic hello to the one and only Jeff Townes! I’ve been a fan of your’s since I can remember. What have you been up to recently?

Well… touring the world in which I love, but I’ve been in the studio working on my second studio record “The Return of The Magnificent” due out in January.

Are you looking forward to the Australian Urban Music Awards?

Yes I am… I love gettin new music from around the world, so now I have a front row seat. It’s an honor.

What were your musical influences growing up?

The sound of Phila definitely… but any old soul and funk.

You recently did a compilation for the Defected series, which allowed listeners for the first time to truly appreciate the diverse range of tastes from the one of the staunchest of hip hop pioneers. Could you tell us more about that? How do you feel about hip hop incorporating sounds form all other genres, as opposed to keeping it ‘fundamental’ all the time?

Well I came up in a time when DJs played everything, so it felt good to do the Defected album… That’s what I love to play! Hip hop is not a music style, it’s a lyrical form over any kind of music you want, so I love to see the boundaries pushed to the wall.

What are your thoughts on the glorification of hip hop by the mass media into something of a commodity franchise? Do you see any curbing of this in the foreseeable future?

That’s what I hate, not the fact that it’s out to the mass media… just that they’re the ones who dictate what we hear. We’re brainwashed because out of all of the great hip hop that’s out, they only play 10 songs. My problem is what they don’t play.

What is your advice to artists who sometimes get frustrated with the state of hip hop today, with the apparent difficulty of not compromising quality for sales?

I think what you need to do first is find out what direction the artist want to go. Nowadays some artists want the money, so they will do whatever it takes, which is cool if that’s what you want. If the musical integrity is what’s important then you can’t worry about the commercial side of things – just follow your heart… that is how music was made 20 years ago.

Tell us about your long standing relationship with Will Smith while he was known as the Fresh Prince. Do you still keep contact? How did it impact on you as an artist today? Do you still call him Prince, or is it Will now?

We talk all the time. We’re going back into the studio this year, this is our 20th anniversary of our first album. It’s hard to see where the impact is on me because it’s always been ‘Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’. I never called him Prince, and he never calls me Jazz!

How much of your time now is still spent behind the decks in relation to production work and artist development?

I spend about 75% of the time on the road… I’m tryin’ to get it to 50% for both, because I love them the same.

Do you ever get the feeling that the acceptance of the DJ as an essential and integral element of music creation is sometimes overlooked by audiences today? Are DJs really getting the respect and credit they deserve from all parties concerned?

The funny thing is, now the DJ is bigger that it’s ever been… but it has very little to do with hip hop… every rock group in the world has a DJ, but very few new hip hop act even have one, which is a shame. The DJ is one of the four cornerstones of hip hop.

How does living in Philly impact the musical aspect of your life?

Apart from the abundance of raw talent seemingly being generated by Philly, the ‘City of Brotherly Love’, as a listener I get the impression that there really is a community vibe about Philly that endeared the likes of J Live to move down there. Is this an accurate rendering?

Well… it’s not really like that, there’s unity there, but I feel that every major city has a huge amount of talent, it jusy needs the chance to be shown, and that’s what happened in Philly. I’ve always been there, just like The Roots, but it was the Jill Scott record that opened the worlds eyes to Philly again. Once we had the spotlight the confidence of the city grew into what we have today. That can happen in any city with the chance, nothing against Philly!

Can you tell us more about your production company ‘A Touch of Jazz’? who are the current artists on the ATOJ portfolio?

I took a little break from ATOJ because that takes a lot of time. I have a poet Black Ice who’s album will be coming out on Koch Records in September…. but I will be in the studio doing a ton of new ATOJ projects real soon, so it’s definitely [a case of] take it as it comes.

Do your children listen to the music that you put out?

My kids know everything from Etta James, to A Tribe Called Quest, to wack rapper #1. I just want them to have their own music, but know your musical past.

Have you ever thought about doing anymore cameo acting stints in the future? Have you done any since your frequent visits on the set of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”?

No acting, unless Will pulls me into a movie… I may do it then, haha!

Are there any artists our there that you are really wanting to do a collab with?

Sting, KRS One, Bonnie Raitt…

Another sad moment in hip hop was the untimely death of multi talented producer J Dilla (R.I.P) earlier this year. Did you ever have the privilege to work with Dilla or his collective Slum Village?

He was a very close friend of mine… I did scratches on Fantasic Vol 2 and he did ‘R U Ready’ on the Magnificent EP. He was the John Coltrane of hip hop. He was a genius that the world will miss.

Are you looking forward to your trip to Oz? how do you like it down here?

I love it there! There are a ton of incredible DJs, MCs and artists of all kinds. The crowd seems a lot more receptive to all kinds of music… and the awards are just validation how much the scene has and is growing.

Do you feel that artists, being the perceived role models in society, have a certain responsibility to incorporate an element of socially conscious views in their work at times?

I think it’s up to the artist… some just wanna make music and not be role models. Sometimes just because you do music well does not mean you have a good opinion on other things.

Finally, what direction do you feel hip hop is taking in the next 10-15 years?

I don’t know where hip hop is going… but I can’t wait till we take control over it again.

Jazzy Jeff appears at the Urban Music Awards in Sydney on Friday July 21st. He’ll also play an exclusive house set at Tank nightclub in Sydney on Saturday July 22nd.

http://www.inthemix.com.au/features/27748/..._of_Jazzy_class

[viber_91]

Thanks for dat Tim!

"Jeff: I don’t know where hip hop is going… but I can’t wait till we take control over it again."

[Luigie]

Cool read, thanks Tim

[Angel Amor]

Thanx 4 the read :yeah:

[KevTastic]

Great read. good to hear the so called rumours straight from his mouth.

[Jonny 5]

cheers for that tim!

[bart5]

Man, how do you find all these awesome new interviews, all the time?! Thanks dude!

[JumpinJack AJ]

Crazy article!! Thanx!!

[ash trey]

"Jeff: I don’t know where hip hop is going… but I can’t wait till we take control over it again."

I love that quote :gettinjiggywitit: Thanks great interview!