There’s no way you can discuss hip-hop without mentioning Will Smith and Jeff Townes, a.k.a. the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. And despite their near absence in many of this years hip-hop 50 celebrations, the two will finally be getting their flowers and reminding us all of their contributions at A Grammys Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop event.
Per Billboard, the night is set to go down at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles in Inglewood and will mark one of the first times in a long time that the duo will be reunited on such a major stage to perform their hits. The two famously made Grammy history as their song “Parents Just Don’t Understand” became the first hip-hop record to win for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 ceremony (it should be noted here that the illustrious ceremony didn’t even have a category for rap or hip-hop until 1988 and that neither Smith nor Townes attended the year they won the award after learning that their category wouldn’t even be televised). The following year, they became 1990 the first hip-hop/rap act to perform on the Grammys.
The two previously performed together in 2022 at the season one premiere of the hit Peacock series, Bel-Air. This event will also mark Smith’s biggest reentrance back into the limelight since the infamous Oscars slap and since his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s recently released memoir brought the famous family (and their marriage specifically) under scrutiny in the last few weeks.
In honor of the event, the Aladdin actor posted several old pictures of him wearing a vintage gold chain from 1988 that read “The Fresh Prince” to Instagram with the caption: “Vintage 1988—I might need to pull this out the vault...”
What’s more, the “Parents Just Don’t Understand” duo won’t be the only act taking the stage. Additional artists set to perform include: Arrested Development, Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Black Thought, Bun B, Common, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Digable Planets, DJ Quik, E-40, Glorilla, Gunna, Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, Juvenile, Latto, LL Cool J, Luniz, MC Lyte, MC Sha-Rock, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, Roxanne Shante, Spinderella, Talib Kweli, The Lady of Rage, The Pharcyde, Three 6 Mafia, T.I., Too Short, 2 Chainz, Uncle luke, Warren G, YG, and Yo-Yo.
Tickets are available to purchase now.