The Fresh Prince's former sidekick reveals a serious side
Article by Dan Eldridge, Photo by Paule Saviano
Resonance, 11/01/2002
It's nine o'clock in the morning and already the sun's rays are drilling into the dusty buliding in downtown Philadelphia where Jeff Townes--also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff--is preparing for another day at the office. Inside, the vibe is serious--even solemn--as phones ring steadily and assistants dart in and out of open doors. The receptionist even has a decorous British accent here at A Touch of Jazz. Over the past twelve years, Townes' soul, hip-hop and R&B production studio has helped style the sounds of an eclectic roster of pop greats including Jill Scott, The Roots, Michael Jackson, even The Simpsons.
It might prove difficult for a generation who grew up on "Parents Just Don't Understand" and syndicated episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to think of Jazzy Jeff as anything but the wacky neighbor, the screwball yin to Will Smith's charismatic yang. But more than a decade after the pop explosion of He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper, the world's first Grammy-winning hip-hop record, Jazzy Jeff has released his first solo album, to the surprise of the DJ and rap communities that still regard him as a founding father. The Magnificent, a sort of mix-tape melange, showcases a handful of the artists whose sound Townes has been molding in quiet obscurity, including Slum Village, Baby Blak and Cy Young.
The Magnificent is the fifth release in the "Beat Generation" series, a collection of albums from London's BBE Records which highlights the most artistically innovative and technically skilled producers working today. Past entries have showcased the work of Pete Rock, Marley Marl and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. "I was trying to make a record," Townes says, "where you didn't ask who was on it first. I did a song with Shawn from Boys II Men and I would play it to people and they would be like, 'Wow, I really like this, who is that?' And because you said you liked it and then asked me who it was, it didn't really matter who it was." Much of The Magnetic is a schizophrenic mish-mash of new-school legends and other artists not typically associated with hip-hop greatness. Near the end of the album, DJs Q-Bert and Babu spin on to of a J-Live track. On another, Rahiem croons while Flo Brown rhymes.
Probably the most inspirational aspect of The Magnificent, however, is the window it offers into the life of a former pop superstar--now in his mid-thirties and the father of two--who actually managed to make good. "I've had a lot of life experiences that made me put stuff in perspective," Townes says, when asked about his brief brush with super-stardom. "One of the Grammys that I won, I went to New York and I had a nice suit on and I picked it up, and when I came home I had $500 in my account."
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