DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Rock the House

 Ain't Nothin' But A Party Y'all {4 Stars} --- Review No. 500
Rock The House, JJ & FP's debut album, is an overlooked and forgotten LP that is one of the duo's (trio if you count fringe member Ready Rock C) best albums. This album, along with Steady B's 1988 single "Serious (BDP Remix)", are what made me pay more attention to DJ's. DJ Tat Money kills the end of Serious and Jazzy Jeff, my favorite DJ to this day, wrecks this entire album. There are great party tracks like "Girls Ain't Nothing But Troublee", "Rock The House", "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", and "Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble" which features the unfairly forgotten Ice Cream Tee. Also, "A Touch Of Jazz" is a classic, hands down. The extended cut on the 12" is better because it has more scratching and it's longer -- it's 6:46 while the lp version is only 3:21 and features Fresh Prince rapping on it. Personally, I thought Jazzy Jeff shouting out the three guys that got him started mixing was really cool -- Pearly Lewis, Kenneth Adams, & Mark Johnson. Hell, I'd like to give a shout out myself even though I don't know them. Anyway, if you're looking to hear what Will Smith sounded like when he was still hungry and still giving rap 100% of his attention, then get this. It's dope, and with the exception of a few tracks, it holds up well 20 years after it's release.

As far as skip material, I'd have to say that "Taking It To The Top" and "Don't Even Try It" are pretty forgettable. I didn't like them when this album came out though. Like I already mentioned, they just don't hold up well over the years. The rest of the album is dope. Will, Jazzy, and Ready Rock all do their thing.

Rock The House is a light, fun, party lp. You can rock a party with this album as well as play it in front of your mother. Though they don't get many props anymore (well, Will doesn't), acts like DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince are just as responsible for bringing rap music to a broader audience as acts like Run DMC. I recommend adding this album to your library.

Standout Tracks: A Touch Of Jazz (My Favorite), Just One Of Those Days, Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble feat. Ice Cream Tee, The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff, Rock The House, Special Announcement, and Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble (1988 Extended Remix) March 17, 2007

 Pioneering Hip Hop album, A Milestone
One of the greatest hip hop albums ever. Still sounds great even in year 2005. Jazzy Jeff is one the greatest DJ's ever. This album pioneered the Transformer scratch into Hip Hop and it also pioneered the infusion of Jazz into hip hop. February 26, 2005

 Great album every track is great
I'm a big DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince fan. This is there first album and it is great. It has great beatboxing from Ready Rock C. DJ Jazzy Jeff's cutting abilities are excellent. They are not as smooth as Jeff today but it is a great album! It really is a must-have for anyone who listened to rap music. And of course Will's lyrics are great and comedic. It is worth every penny. February 20, 2005

 Rap the house!
In the spring of 1988,Will Smith,then known as The Fresh Prince,with his sidekick DJ Jazzy Jeff,hit paydirt with PARENTS JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. With this album,released in mid-1988,they scored another hit,GIRLS AIN'T NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. We hear the music of the theme to TV's "I Dream Of Jeannie"(the color episodes) by Buddy Kaye and Hugo Montenegro. "I don't mean to bust your bubble,the girls of the world ain't nothing but trouble",the FP mentions three or four times in the song. The FP tells about taking his girlfriend to a Run DMC concert and she was far from ready. Also,another girl accuses him of raping her,thus being arrested for aggravated assault("But it wasn't my fault!"). He's also violently chased by another girl's boyfriend. The FP climbs out the window in his undies during a snowstorm("All I had was my underwear on to keep me warm."). He catches a cold. He even breaks into his own house because his house keys were in his pants that he left at Betty's house. The tune is awesome,I have to admit. Also on the album is GUYS AIN'T NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. The other songs are cool. Three years after this album,Smith became the star of the television sitcom "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air" which became an immediate hit.Then came the beginning of his movie career. His film debut was the Warner Bros. comedy MADE IN AMERICA which starred Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince had no more major hits on the pop charts after GANBT. As Smith continued acting,his fame and popularity grew. August 17, 2004

 Hear Where It All Began For Will Smith!
This album is classic! I am glad its available in CD form! It has a couple of tracks that I would love to hear once more! Definitely get it to hear how the old schoolers used to do it! June 23, 2004

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