Happy Birthday, DJ Jazzy Jeff!

Today, Jan. 22, is the 54th birthday of one of the greatest turntablists to ever bless the 1s-and-2s, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The Philadelphia native, born Jeffrey Allens Townes, gained fame in the early-1990s alongside Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The legendary duo would go on to win the first rap Grammy Award ever presented in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand," a cut off their multi-platinum album He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. They went on to win another Grammy for the song "Summertime" in 1992.

Jazz was also was a main figure in the it television show, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Fans of the show may remember Jeff constantly hitting on Will's cousin, Hilary Banks, and getting thrown out of the house by Will's uncle, Phil.

As a solo artist, Jazz has released 16 solo DJ projects to date and has produced music for everyone from Talib Kweli to Mac Miller. He's even contributed his musical stylings to popular shows like Fox's The Simpsons and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. 

These days, DJ Jazzy Jeff and his crew are back and currently taking fans along a journey as they spread music across the globe with Vinyl Destination.

Back in 2015, Jeff and Smith made headlines when they announced that they were getting back together and would go on tour in 2016. Then in 2017, Jazz made good on his previous promises, and the duo released "Get Lit" with Will Smith taking in rightful place on the mic, and performing with him at the Livewire festival in Blackpool.

Over the course of the past year, Jazz achieved another first with the release of his first official independent album, M3. The 15-track project predominantly features artists, Rhymefest, Dayne Jordan and Uhmeer, among others.

Jeff's scratching routines have long been on the cutting edge of DJ culture, and his live performances continue to evolve to this day.

Happy Birthday, DJ Jazzy Jeff!

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