DJ Jazzy Jeff Interview
Jazzy Jeff, eclipsed by Will Smith's superstardom, finds success on his own

By CATHERINE LUCEY, Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA - Though he had top billing as one-half of the kitschy late-'80s rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Jeff Townes never cared much for the celebrity side of making music.

He preferred to remain in the background, allowing his charismatic cohort, Will Smith, to bask in the limelight.

The rap act would serve as Smith's springboard to superstardom; by the time the group ended in 1993, Smith already had his own sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"; in the years that followed, Smith would receive dlrs 20 million movie paydays, Grammy wins and an Oscar nomination.

But while Smith's fame has eclipsed his, Townes has hardly faded into oblivion. He has forged his own successful but low-key career as a producer, crafting acclaimed works for Jill Scott, Darius Rucker and Smith himself.

"From day one, Will and I set out on the exact paths we're on," he says, noting that he never wanted to do movies like Smith. "A lot of people think Will left Jeff, Jeff faded away. I wanted to satisfy my musical itch."

Townes, 37, is satisfying that itch with a new disc of his own, "The Magnificent." While it's Townes' solo debut, he takes a back seat on many of the tracks to artists such as Scott and Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman.

"I'm extremely happy. It was the most liberating thing musically," he says.

As part of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Townes and Smith were one of rap's first crossover successes. Their hits included comedic songs such as "Parents Just Don't Understand," which was awarded rap's first Grammy, as well as party jams such as "Summertime."

The group's success helped land Smith his own sitcom in 1990. While Townes had a recurring role as the dimwitted, shiftless character Jazz, he never sought a bigger role.

"Jeff hates the spotlight. (In `Fresh Prince') he had it as part of his deal that he didn't do any scenes I wasn't in," Smith says.

Instead of moving to Los Angeles, Townes stayed in Philly, kept working on his music and put together A Touch of Jazz Studio, where he produces for some of the biggest names in music.

It took awhile for A Touch of Jazz to warm up, though. The big breakthrough came a couple of years ago with Scott's soulful 2000 debut, "Who Is Jill Scott?" The album was a critical and commercial success. It earned three Grammy nominations and brought Townes new attention as a producer.

"It opened up the window," Townes says.

Rucker, the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish who recently released his own solo album, praised Townes' producing skills: "There's so much talent in there, and those guys are so great and Jeff is just in there making hits."

Steve McKeever, president of Hidden Beach Recordings, which released Scott's album, says Townes is an overlooked talent.

"Jazzy ... puts the right frame around an artist, where you notice the picture, not the production," he said.

Now Townes is doing that for himself. His first solo album, "The Magnificent," came out in August on small British record label BBE. Townes said his first effort took awhile because he wanted artistic control and couldn't find that with some labels.

"I didn't want to do an album unless I could be creatively free," he says.

McKeever calls the disc "a complete mix. It goes very avant-garde hip-hop, some spoken word — it's like a little movie."

Artists are seeking out Townes now. He's worked with Lil' Kim and Michael Jackson.

And he has continued to spin, something he has been doing since he was 10 years old, watching records played at block parties in West Philly.

He says he still enjoys spinning after nearly 20 years. That was clear during a recent set at a Philadelphia nightclub. The room grew steaming hot as people danced to his rapid mix of old-school and today's hip-hop.

Townes went from the Roots, to Snoop Dogg, to the Notorious B.I.G., to Blondie. Even he was dripping after a half-hour.

"I usually go for longer," he says afterward.

Townes lives in Philadelphia with his girlfriend. He has two sons from previous relationships. He recalls that Smith used to tell him that he needed to get out of Philadelphia, move to another city. But he has stuck to his hometown.

"Jeff doesn't care anything about money, about what's mainstream, about what people think is going to sell. He goes in and tries to make the best record he can make," Smith says. "He's one of those rare individuals who says he doesn't care about the money and doesn't."

Hanging out in his studio in Sean John sweats, Townes leans back in the sofa and smiles.

"I took the road less notarized," he says.