DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Rock The House

Sure, you know Will Smith the actor, but did you know he was also a rapper? Of course, you did. Eminem took a shot at him for bragging that he didn’t need to swear to sell records. But before we got the Big Willie who liked to get jiggy (I can never say that without feeling racist), we had the Fresh Prince. And before he moved to Bel Air, he got second billing to DJ Jazzy Jeff.

DJJ&TFP were a hit with the kids thanks to their infectious goofiness. You couldn’t be cool if you didn’t own one of their albums. So in my quest to be cool, I went to Hills (there’s a throwback) and got Rock The House on cassette (there’s another throwback) for five bucks!!! Of course, that’s five bucks 1980s money, which I think is equivalent to about $100 when adjusted for inflation.

I don’t have too many memories when it comes to this album. I owned this, one friend owned He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper, and another friend owned In This Corner, so we made up the DJJ&TFP trifecta. Yeah, that’s pretty much all I remember. So let’s spin the vinyl and see if I get any longer lasting memories. And by spin the vinyl, I mean hit play on Spotify.

Things kick off with a sample of the I Dream Of Jeannie theme. So right from the beginning of his career, Will Smith was all about samples. Granted, this was common for hip hop, but Smith took it to such an obnoxious level in his solo albums that even Puff Daddy shook his head in shame.

Man, I miss this style of hip hop. Goofy stories over bouncy beats. What’s Biz Markie up to these days? I imagine an alternate universe where we got Biz Markie Of Bel Air then he went on to star in a biopic of George Foreman. Where’s the portal to take me to that universe?

There’s really not much to say about this album. If you’ve ever heard any song DJJ&TFP put out between 1987 and 1989, Rock The House is essentially ten variations on that song. Not that that’s a bad thing. These guys are clearly the life of the party, a party that I never want to end. Please don’t kick me out, Jazz. I can sleep on the couch. Actually, Fresh Prince claims Jazzy Jeff is an Autobot, so maybe it’s best I do what he says.

I wouldn’t quite classify Rock The House as a must-have. But if you find it on sale for five bucks, preferably on cassette, pick it up. Throw it in a boombox. Put on some acid-washed jeans, or better yet, a tracksuit. Get some heavy gold chains. And proceed to sway your dwelling.