The DJ, The Rapper, And Their Great Hits (Platinum & Gold Collection - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	Platinum & Gold Collection - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Date:	26/06/08 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: All the hits

Disadvantages: Couple of weak tracks

===The Album===

This is an unofficial compilation of some of the best tracks from DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince during the best years of their Hip Hip music career. It has on all of the most memorable tunes that Jazzy Jeff produced on Will Smith rapped on from 1987, when they debuted, to 1993, when "Code Red" was released. That was the last LP they released with new content to it.

===The Artists===

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith), are a Hip Hop duo from Philadelphia. The pair are known to be the complete opposite of what Hip Hop is known for today (money, cars and beef), so they are more likely to be enjoyed by a broader range of music-listeners. They do still appeal to Hip Hop heads, because Jazzy Jeff's style of production and turntablism encorporates aspects of roots Hip Hop, bringing back the good old days of the genres.

===Tracklistings===

1. Parents Just Don't Understand

Album From: "He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper"
Year: 1988
Length: 5:35

Here is a great display of how rap was 'back in the day' you know, before any Hip Hop artists had money, and they rapped about things close to them, here is something quite originally, but something which everyone can relate to. The only reason why I didn't like it too much was because it hasn't been something which has been played any time between it's original release and now, unlike many of his other records.

The Fresh Prince raps about many teenage issues which we are all aware of, and makes the situations sound funny when you hear about how parents don't comprehend the importance of some things which they may not understand, such as reputation amongst peers.

**Four Stars**

2. Nightmare On My Street

Album From: "He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper"
Year: 1987
Length: 4:56

No offense to the pair, but this track is terrible. It probably would have been more relevant at the time, but now Freddy Krueger has no place in society, so I cannot relate to this track at all. I didn't find it funny and I didn't really like the music, but if you were there at the time then you may like to here this throwback record.

**One Star**

3. Summertime

Album From: "Homebase"
Year: 1991
Length: 3:57

Directly following on from the preceding record, her is yet another classic from the pair, but this one is more personal to me as it is extremely nostalgic and reminds me of family barbecues in the nineties, no worries just fun in the sun.

This one is all about just relaxing, because that's all what Summer is about, so DJ Jazzy Jeff gives us a slow winding beat, "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang, which allows you to settle down and the Fresh Prince just tells you how to make the best of this time where everyone seems to be in a fun mood.

**Five Stars**

4. Boom! Shake The Room

Album From: "Code Red"
Year: 1993
Length: 3:43

This must have been the first track I ever heard from the pair as it was the first CD I ever asked for, and I was only 3 a the time, so I love this track and I had no idea of the popularity of this track before recently, so I expect that most will enjoy listening to this too.

It is a massive party tune which will get everyone on there feet incorrectly shouting out "Boom Boom Shake Shake The Room", (which really annoys me), but I really love it. It has endless energy and keeps you engaged throughout with the variation in rap approaches and tempo.

**Five Stars**

5. Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble

Album From: "Rock the House"
Year: 1987
Length: 4:53

This is the pair's debut single, breaking them into the music world in a big way. Although this debut didn't make as big an impact as others or many of the records which they went on to make, it was needed to get to boost them into the limelight.

The title pretty much tells what the whole record is about, so I shouldn't have to explain it. The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff showed us how their style was slightly different to most Hip Hop of their time and this allowed them to move on where others couldn't.

6. I Think I Beat Mike Tyson

Album From: "And In This Corner..."
Year: 1989
Length: 4:42

This is a bit like "Nightmare On My Street", which is found later on in the album, as the theme is dated, but this one differs from that as the overall sound of it works much better and I also think that I can relate to this easier.

Will's humour is presented during this as he is a able to talk through his emotions as he decides to challenge 'Iron' Mike Tyson to a bout, which he inevitably loses in the first round from a K.O.. This isn't just a bout The Fresh rince though, because the best Jazzy Jeff's talent is also presented and he shows how he can alter his style to make music suitable for a boxing match, but als mixing in a few classic Hip hop samples including Slick Rick's "Hit It".

**Four Stars**

7. I'm All That

Album From: "Homebase"
Year: 1991
Length: 3:45

This certainly uses an old school groove sample, but I cannot work it out, you would expect such a knowledgable DJ and producer as Jazzy Jeff to pick you obscure funk grooves to excite you, but also make you appreciate his talent at amking it relevant to current times (although these 'current times', were the year of my birth).

You can hear "The Show" by Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh in certain parts of this track too, displaying that he really knows his Hip Hop, especially as he uses the sample so well to intigrate with the Fresh Prince's rhymes.

**Four Stars**

8. He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper

Album From: "He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper"
Year: 1988
Length: 4:57

This track is just some fun from te pair which has been seen in other albums with "Pump Me Up on Will Smith's "Willenium" and "I Wanna Rock" from "Code Red", where they are "just buggin'" with an old school beat and Will hits us with what sound like freestyle raps off the top of his dome.

The positive points of both of the musicians is highlighted here in their own individual ways as you here what sounds to be a very young Will and Jazzy Jeff, who seems to just be working on forming the exceptional DJ we here today, equipped with endless techniques to make old beats fresh again.

**Four Stars**

9. Too Damn Hype

Album From: "And in This Corner..."
Year: 1989
Length: 4:56

The jingling at the beginning of this track reminds me a lot of the Fresh Prince theme song which made the pair so famous. Will keeps his rhymes flowing well and Jazzy Jeff uses so many short voice samples from James Brown and other funk legends, really showing that his style is so focussed on what the foundations of this genre of music is about.

**Four Stars**

10. Pump Up The Bass

Album From: "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper"
Year: 1988
Length: 5:12

This one has a distinctive '80s sound which seemed to have just disappeared at the turn of the decade. Hip Hop at this time was just about to lose its innocence before it went over to the West Coast and it was taken over by Ice-T, NWA and other acts like this who introduced the gangsta rap sub-genre to Hip Hop.

The idea of the music being very inncoent becomes clear when you listen to the track as all the lyrisc focus is the reaction which the muic has upon, people, making them dance instead of fight as it often does now as gangsta rap seems to have taken over the radio.

**Three Stars**

11. Rock The House

Album From: "Rock the House"
Year: 1987
Length: 4:27

This is a big track as it features Ready Rock C, once an original member of the group, but left after being told that beatboxing just wasn't in anymore, however recently it has become massively popular so track like this are seen as influential.

It's a shame we heard nothing of Ready Rock C after this, because from what i heard in this track, he awas very talented at what he did and it seems to work well with the act, bringin more essential Hip Hop elements into their muic, involoveing all of the audial ones.

**Four Stars**

12. Just One Of Those Days

Album From: "Rock the House"
Year: 1987
Length: 5:46

This track ends the album and it really works well at rounding of this compilation as it seems to display exactly what the duo is about as Jazzy Jeff hits us with lots of DJing techniques and Will comes with his story-telling rhymes which sound so innocent.

**Three Stars**

===What's Missing===

I felt that all the most popular tracks that the pair recordeed were found here, so if I was to say that something else needed to be included it wouldn't be as well-recognised by most people, and so I think that they gave a good range of tracks to display what the pair did together to make them legends in the game.

===Conclusion===

In conclusion this is the ultimate compilation album from the duo (and Ready Rock C) and we are brought with all of their well-known hits. There is little that you can fault them on apart from when you hear track which just don't fit in with music today.

Summary: DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince's classics