DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Before Will Smith got jiggy in blockbuster films like Men in Black, he called himself the Fresh Prince and seemingly spent a good portion of the '80s picking up girls at the local food court with homeboy Jeff Townes (a.k.a. DJ Jazzy Jeff). Sporting a high-top fade and acid-wash jeans, Smith wove comic coming-of-age tales to Townes' considerable scratch skills. Their corny highjinks translated into sitcommy skits and MTV hits that foreshadowed Smith's successful acting career and nabbed him a hit TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, predicated on his nonthreatening street style. Instead of boasting about ho's and libidos, Smith's raps showcase a self-deprecating humor -- he's scared of Freddy Krueger; he's laughed at in school for rocking Zips, not Adidas.

The Philadelphia duo's debut, Rock the House, featured the sophomoric hit "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," in which boy-next-door Smith is preyed on by sirens to an I Dream of Jeannie sample. Their best work, though, is on the 17-track follow up, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, since it spotlights both Smith's likable lyrics ("Parents Just Don't Understand," "Nightmare on My Street") and Townes' mixing mettle ("As We Go," "Pump Up the Bass"). Smith's schlock wears thin on And in This Corner and his Chuck D impression on Code Red is plain embarrassing. Homebase, on the other hand, is buoyed by Townes' disco-electro-funk beats, and contains 1991's breezy beach anthem "Summertime." That hit was remixed and rereleased on 1998's Greatest Hits, a laid-back list sometimes overshadowed by megastar Will Smith's solo efforts ("Men in Black," "Just Cruisin' "). (CARLA SPARTOS)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide