DJ Jazzy Jeff

In August 2017, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith performed two shows in the Europe: MTV Summerblast Music Festival in Croatia and the Livewire Festival in Blackpool.

In 2015, he performed the scratch overdubs for the film Straight Outta Compton.

In 2013, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Will Smith on The Graham Norton Show. Also that same year, DJ Jazzy Jeff released Vinyl Destination, a web series documenting his hundred plus DJ shows from all around the world. He also appeared as the lead interview in Paul Stenning's book Success - By Those Who've Made It.

In 2010, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick (formerly known as Mick Boogie) teamed up to release the Summertime: The Mixtape series. The mixes are released every summer.

DJ Jazzy Jeff has two sons, Cory Townes (a journalist), whose mother is a schoolteacher; and Amir Mitchell-Townes (an actor, born 1999), whose mother is Kim Mitchell. DJ Jazzy Jeff married Lynette C. Jackson in Jamaica on July 30, 2010.

In 2009, he made a mixtape titled He's the King...I'm the DJ in honor of the late entertainer Michael Jackson. Townes was featured in the video game DJ Hero as a playable character. He also has some original mixes in the game.

In 2008, Townes performed with Smith at the premiere of the latter's 2008 film Hancock.

His 2007 release The Return of the Magnificent featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Peedi Peedi (a remake of "Brand New Funk"), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn. In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in a video directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest.

Some songs by Smith were produced by Townes, and he has performed on some songs by Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas". In addition, he appeared in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K" and "Freakin' It". On some occasions, he made appearances with Smith at live concerts, producing DJ scratches. On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. Moreover, Smith acknowledges him in his music such as "Comin' to the Stage" from the album Lost and Found and "Potnas" from his album Willennium.

He took the stage name DJ Jazzy Jeff and was one half of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince along with Will Smith. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand", though their most successful single was "Summertime" which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

One of the first records DJ Jazzy Jeff ever appeared on was with the Korner Boyz (Street Artz Records) and their songs "Bust the Move" and "The Saga of Roxanne", which featured legendary Philadelphia rappers MC Parry P and Grand Tone. The instrumental was called "Jazzy Jeff Scratch" (1985). DJ Jazzy Jeff, along with DJ Cash Money, are credited with making the transformer scratch famous.

As a duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap Grammy Award ever presented in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand".

Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American record producer, DJ, actor and comedian who is best known for his friendship and collaboration with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.

Jeffrey Allen Townes was born on January 22, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early on, he developed a reputation and a following as a school and block party DJ.