“We boycotted the Grammy’s.”

Will Smith in response to being excluded from the Grammy Awards. But can you blame them, Gangster Rap had been established a few years earlier, then there was Luke and the Miami version of rap. All rap, this newfound genre blazing through America had potential to turn music and entertainment upside down, but corporate American wasn’t so sure. There had been sprite commercials, even malt liquor advertised through rap music and Hip Hop culture, but it wasn’t yet mainstream, like tonight show mainstream, like rapping with kids mainstream. Ironically, it would be Will Smith that would take it there.

Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, Ice-T the names go on, in a consistent list of former villain rappers (at least perceptively, stereotypically and historically), turned actors.

Will Smith, the Fresh Prince was the first, rapper to find success outside of the genre. He so firmly established himself as a movie star outside of Hip Hop, that the association was no longer there. Will Smith, was no longer known as rapper, but actor. But the red carpet started in Philadelphia rapping with his friend and DJ, ‘Jazzy’ Jeff Townes. Oh, as far his friend, Jeff, don’t feel sorry for him. He went along for the ride in Hollywood, becoming a world-class DJ. Hip Hop was home for him.

In 1996, after Smith walked off the set of Fresh Prince for the last time, he encountered a world much different than when he was dropped off by the taxi in Bel-Air. Rap music had exploded with ’96 being one of the banner years of the genre. Six years later, 8 years after rap’s first Grammy that named Fresh Prince, his anthem still pops up difference ages, colors. That’s what they wanted and that’s why and Will, who went from the prince of Bel-Aire to the King of Hollywood made sure it happened.

In West Philadelphia, born and raised…

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