Hero1

Jeff's still Jazzing BY Davina Morris Few hip-hop icons walk the line between mass appeal and grass-roots love as well as DJ Jazzy Jeff. With his partner Will, he became the first hip-hop act to win a Grammy, starred in the unforgettable Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, and was one of the few hip-hop acts to play Live8. On his lonesome, his Touch of Jazz crew have been instrumental in the careers of Floetry, Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild. In 2002, his debut solo album, The Magnificent, proved the success of the aforementioned acts wasn't a fluke. The Hip-Hop Forever mix tapes didn't hurt either. His latest album, The Return Of The Magnificent, is out this week and features emcees like Rhymefest, Method Man, and Big Daddy Kane and singers like Raheem Devaughn, among others. There's a pretty impressive guestlist on this album. Was there anyone you wanted to guest on the record and, for whatever reason, it didn't work out? One of the first people I called was Krs-One. I really wanted to do a Jazzy Jeff/Krs-One record and it was a scheduling thing. Every time he was in the UK, I was home, and then I was in the UK and he was home. We just kept missing each other. I'm a huge Krs-One fan. Krs has been pretty much a staple in hip hop and preaching what hip-hop is about and I think we need those people and I kinda wanted to have him on the record because I'm very interested in just having a sit down conversation about music in general, hip hop and the whole thing. He and I have seen a lot, we've seen a lot of changes and we're still out there actively trying to keep hip hop out. Jeff 'n' Fess, the remake of Gangstarr's Manifest, is a definite standout tune. That was always one of my favourite records, it's funny 'cos I called Preem like 'you're not mad', he's like 'nah'. Rhymefest did his thing on it, he sat down and studied and wrote what he needed to write and just made it happen. Of the soul tunes, Raheem Devaughn's My Soul Ain't For Sale is probably the best. The crazy thing is that song has so much significance 'cos it was while we were recording that song that I got the news that J Dilla had passed. It was on that day. That's why we tagged the 'Rest In Peace J Dee' on the end because I think J Dee really personified someone who wasn't going to change who he was to get that success. How important is it that this record is released on an independent label like BBE. Is it important? You know what's funny? I don't think it's important that it's on an independent label as much as an independent label was the form that would give me the creative freedom to make the record I want. I've found a situation where someone tells me "go make the records that you make". I'm extremely happy with the opportunities that BBE have given me. It would have been cool ifSony Music had given people the opportunity to do that. Or Arista, or some of these big companies. Unfortunately, that's not where the industry is right now. Every artiste has two issues with their record company: money and creative freedom. And what happens is sometimes people don't know what's more important. That's where the confusion comes in. Sometimes it's like: "the record company gon' give me a half a million dollars upfront and put money in my pocket and spend money on this video. I may not get any more money from this record company at all. I may be doing all this work and showcasing my talent to end up with literally five per cent of the pie when I do 90 per cent of the work." That's how the music industry has always been set up. What sort of changes have you noticed the most in hip hop over the years? No ones is fans of groups anymore. Jay Z has fans. Nas has fans. But a lot of these guys that I like, like T.I? I'm not sure if T.I has fans as much as them. T.I may have fans that he gained from themovie (ATL). But T.I's music fans are only fans if he has a hit out and it's not fair. 'Cos we all know; any artiste from Krs One to Rakim to Public Enemy. They all did records that some of them we didn't like them as much as we liked the others. But we rode with them. You must have some great memories of playing Live8? That was probably one of the most incredible moments of my career. Live8 was in Philadelphia. So let alone it was in my hometown, let alone we were onstage in front of one million people. I couldn't control myself. I'm standing onstage looking out and there's a million people in front of me. What can you do? This is yourhometown, you do Summertime and you do The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air theme and everybody just goes crazy. Return Of The Magnificent is out June 4 on BBE. Published: 30 May 2007 Source: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=11396

download Skype.. http://www.skype.com add hierohero to your buddy list.. and join us at the set time.. its that easy!

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das efx - they want efx

analogue seems on the money.. we have about 6 months of news we havent even discussed as well..

:3-laugh3: :3-laugh3: :3-laugh3:

who is up for one? now we got the sound bite from jeff courtesy of brakes we gotta do one..

hey all the new members round here.. what do you need that you missed, because the links are old etc? make your requests! i'll put em up for you :wiggle:

yep busta's doin a britney lately..

awesome I'm looking forward to this.. :wickedwisdom:

when lost and found came out I got 85,000 of course the site gets bigger each year..

All That Jazzy West Philadelphia, born and raised. by Craig D. Lindsey Jeffrey Townes, better known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, is in the most peppy of moods. He may be known by many as the guy in DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince who’s not Will Smith, but he’s not complaining. In fact, on his latest album The Return of the Magnificent, he jokes about it. A few songs on Return are connected by skits which see Jeff on a cross-country drive to visit his son, and getting harassed along the way by folks who ask him where his former partner-in-rhyme is. “I think what I wanted to do was kinda poke fun from both sides,” admits the 42-year-old Townes. “I’m tired of everyone asking me, ‘Where’s Will?’ And yet, and still, if I’m stopped by the cops and that would get me out of a ticket, I’m gonna use it.” Jeff’s old pal makes a cameo on Return, in a phone-call exchange where Jeff asks Smith if he’s ever had people ask him for Jeff’s whereabouts. (The answer is no, but he does say people ask him, “Yo, yo, where’s Carlton?”) “I called him and laid out the scenario,” Jeff says. “And that was a one-take thing. It was funny because I had to edit out the engineer’s laughter, because it caught him off-guard. He couldn’t believe that, without rehearsing, we jumped into it that easy.” ADVERTISEMENT This Prince Paul approach to recording the album was something Jeff also conceived in talks with Smith. “We talked about how people don’t make records that make you laugh anymore,” he says, “making a skit that can make you laugh as opposed to just making these records to say that, you know, I’m the richest MC in the world and I have a million girls.” From the CD’s cover, which is a clever recreation of funk/jazz keyboardist Eumir Deodato’s 1973 Deodato 2 cover, to the skits to the rundown of guest artists, Jeff’s mission with Return was to make it just as fun and entertaining as 2002’s The Magnificent. And it is. Just like that album, the guest lineup runs the gamut, including old pros (CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane), indie mavericks (Jean Grae, J-Live) and fresh faces (Twone Gabz, Kel Spencer). Says Jeff, “I started writing a list of everybody I wanted to work with. I said, ‘You know what, Jeff? Pick up the phone and call. The only thing anyone can tell you is no.’ And no one told me no, which was very refreshing.” For a while Jeff wasn’t even thinking about making a follow-up to Magnificent, but an overwhelming response from fans led him to consider a sequel. “After The Magnificent I kinda got out on the road and just never came home,” he remembers. “And I started getting people asking me, ‘So when are you gonna work on the next record?’ I don’t think I was paying attention that there was a demand or people even really wanted another record.” It’s not as though Jeff needed to prove anything by dropping another album. People in the know are aware of his clout in the black-music game. His locally based Touch of Jazz studio, approaching two decades in existence, has housed the recording sessions of many a performer. (On Return, he even uses a sample from Floetry’s “Say Yes,” which was recorded in his studios.) But it’s also been the breeding ground for some of black music’s most in-demand producers (James Poyser, Dre & Vidal, Ivan “Orthodox” Barias and Carvin “Ransum” Haggins). Ever the humble mover and shaker, Jeff says this wasn’t all part of a grand plan—it just worked out. “I didn’t look at A Touch of Jazz like I was doing this monumental thing, or like I’m grooming these guys,” he says. “I look back now and it’s like, wow, that was kinda crazy how everything just kinda panned out.” At the moment Jeff is psyched not just with promoting his album, but with the state of music in general. He’s one of those rare artists who actually has an optimistic outlook on where music is headed. (Yeah, we’re surprised about that too.) “I’m more excited about music today than I’ve ever been,” he exclaims. “When Will and I were putting out records, we didn’t have MySpace. We didn’t have the Internet. I look back and say, ‘Oh my God! Do you see all the angles and directions and outlets we have for the world to discover your music?’ If you live outside the industry, this may be one of the most exciting times for music, and I’m looking to explore that.” Source: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=14743

Hey welcome feri.. I agree with you :1-say-yes:

lets not forget Jeff's album! :wickedwisdom:

JazzyJeffFreshPrince.com had over a 100, 000 visits this month.. which is a record for the site :wiggle:

everybody comment on this 1 http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=10458

this album has some of the best hip-hop beats ever produced.. diamond d is so dope.. the album came out in 92.. i'd reccomend it to everyone..

You may be right Jim..all these places are writing positive articles about a jjfp comeback..it may just inspire Will

Fresh Prince Speaks With Jazzy Jeff, Discuss Reunion Album and Tour Addi Stewart Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 One of hip hop's original dynamic duos, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, haven't connected creatively since 1993's Code Red album, but they are finally considering a reunion album and tour. "We've been talking about making a record and going on tour," Jazzy Jeff tells XXLMag.com. "It's just about making a schedule. Will is pretty much one of the biggest movie stars in the world. It's really difficult because it's hard for him to just say, 'I'm going to take off two years and focus on just going on the road or just going into the studio to make a record.' [but] every time I talk to Will, he really wants to do it. We talked about possibly going on the road sometime this year and doing some stuff. His heart is there, he wants to do it. He adds, "We're aiming for November." DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the world's first Grammy Award for rap song of the year in 1989 with their catchy single, "Parents Just Don't Understand." The hilarious hit catapulted them both onto television, (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and Smith went on to star into multiple Hollywood blockbuster films though the '90s and 2000s (Independence Day, Wild Wild West, I, Robot). DJ Jazzy Jeff focused on his turntable, his audio production and his Hidden Beach record label, which released music from Jill Scott, Cornell West and others. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's light-hearted brand of honest Philadelphia hip-hop should provide some desperately needed comic relief to modern hip hop music. http://www.dose.ca/music/story.html?id=e1d...d6d0&k=5369 XXL mag have a story 2 http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/article/ar....html&cid=0

TV Guide: What are you doing during the hiatus? Epps: I'll be resting, spending time with my family and writing a three-part graphic novel called The Other Side of Truth. It deals with world domination and that kind of thing. TV Guide: Is there anything you don't do? Epps: You only live once. I'm the type of person who just wants to fulfill my potential — no matter what it might be. My mother, who was a teacher, then vice principal and superintendent, is one of my inspirations. She was the first person to believe in me and my talent. My template, actually, is Will Smith. He's won Grammys, been nominated for two Academy Awards and is a film producer. It can be done. Source: http://www.tvguide.com

here we go again... the news spreads http://autumnjones.blogspot.com/2007_05_01...622766423154193 http://laceglovesoff.blogspot.com/2007/05/...ll-be-back.html http://www.djdoubled.it/?p=72 http://kingofgossip.com/a-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion/ http://hiphop.popcrunch.com/will-smith-and...november-album/

great vidoe kev

maybe we should do a vodcast to truly use this! ha

http://www.jazzyjefffreshprince.com/forum/...showtopic=10862