Music and the Fictive Dream: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

 


https://youtu.be/hBe0VCso0qs

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith

Word up, Jive Records

Produced in 1990

History of the Song

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-air" theme song was produced in 1990 for the hit TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Prior to the TV show, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff were a hip hop duo in the 1980's. In 1989 they even won a Grammy for best rap performance. They won their second Grammy with their most successful son, "Summertime" which reached #4 on Billboard Top Hits. In the TV series, Will Smith plays the role of "Will" and DJ Jazzy Jeff plays the role of "Jazz" and even wrote the theme song for the series themselves. Jeff claimed that it only took 15 minutes to record and produce the theme song. Jeff was able to program some beats while Smith came up with the lyrics using succinct rhymes to explain the shows concept. By the time the show was in production, Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith had five albums out and because of this, it clearly showed that the two of them knew what they were doing when it came to writing and producing music.

The Role of the Song

The song is widely known for it's introduction at the beginning of the TV show. The song provides a clear image as to why Will has gone to live at his uncle's house in Bel-Air. The music video and lyrics match each other to form the perfect story line of the events leading up to Will's departure. On a post from a website, the ringer, they mentioned when stating the first line of the song, “Nowwww this is a story all about how …” that your brain will instantly kick in and fill in the rest of the words. It definitely does for me. The website then goes on to mention the bass, tinks, and snares. This song became a breeding ground for spoofs and covers, such as hilarious parodies to more serious and genuinely masterful covers. Over twenty years after this hit TV show ended, it is still a popular song amongst the music industry.

Personal Thoughts

Personally, I love this song. I know most (if not) every word. This is a TV show I remember watching growing up in the 90's. While it was a tough choice choosing this over my favorite TV show, Friends, I feel that I had more fun learning more about this song. This song and TV show turned Will Smith into the performer that he is today. And, fun fact, his uncle's house in Bel-Air, isn't actually in Bel-Air, it's actually located in Los Angeles.


Work Cited

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Intro.” YouTube, 1 Jan. 2008, https://youtu.be/hBe0VCso0qs. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023. 

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song By: Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff.” Song Facts, 2023, https://www.songfacts.com/facts/dj-jazzy-jeff-the-fresh-prince/the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-theme-song. 

Peers, Meah. “10 Things You Didn't Know about the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song & Intro.” ScreenRant, 19 July 2019, https://screenrant.com/facts-trivia-fresh-prince-bel-air-theme-song-intro/#quincy-jones-is-not-the-cab-driver. 

Rahman, Ray. “How the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Theme Song Was Created in Just 15 Minutes.” EW.com, 30 Mar. 2017, https://ew.com/tv/2017/03/30/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-theme-song-oral-history/. 

Serrano, Shea. “'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air': Anatomy of a Perfect Theme Song.” The Ringer, The Ringer, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.theringer.com/tv/2022/2/10/22926088/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-theme-song-anatomy. 

Comments

  1. Gus PaulApril 7, 2023 at 7:49 PM

    Lianna,

    I actually knew this song before I knew it was attached to a show. Will Smith is such a funny guy to me. Oddly enough, the show was a little underwhelming for me. Although I do think the highlights of the lyrics you mentioned are spot on. Do you listen to any other Will Smith? “Miami” by him is so good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kellen DavisApril 19, 2023 at 2:40 PM

    Hi Lianna,

    I used to watch this show all the time so reading your post gave me a little bit of nostalgia.I agree with you that this track perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the 90s and comedic upbeat nature of the show. I also wasn't aware that Will Smith had a role in writing the song which find very cool.Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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