Jazzy Jeff

The accomplishments of Jeff Townes pre-date and extend far beyond his partnership with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Although the duo’s prominent role in hip-hop history is secure with five gold and platinum albums and two Grammys, including the first award for Best Rap Performance with “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (1988), Townes is a major figure for his individual work.

A pioneering turntablist acknowledged for his development of the Transformer scratch, as well as a veteran global club DJ, Townes has also led the production house A Touch of Jazz, executive-produced Jill Scott’s multi-platinum debut (2000), and released numerous DJ sets and studio albums, including multiple volumes of Hip Hop Forever (2004-2006) and the Magnificent trilogy (2002-2018).