Pick a Day

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Debuts

Starring a young rapper named Will Smith, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuts on NBC. Smith hones his acting skills during his six seasons on the show, which features guest appearances by his musical partner, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Smith is 21 when the show debuts, but he is known for playing a high schooler. In 1986, he and Jazzy Jeff released their first single, "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," which despite some adult themes (the girl sure is trouble: she takes his wallet and screams rape), set the jovial tone that made them very popular with the younger crowd, but also acceptable to adults. The video, directed by Scott Kalvert (who makes The Basketball Diaries in 1995), established their signature look: vibrant colors, white walls covered with unobjectionable graffiti, shifting scenes with abstract set pieces, fisheye view, spurts of fast motion. Kalvert used the same style in their 1988 video for "Parents Just Don't Understand," which was their breakout hit, earning lots of exposure on MTV. That video was proof of concept for Will Smith, proving that he could do quite well in front of a camera, and that he could pull off the character. The husband-and-wife showrunners Andy and Susan Borowitz pitched the show to NBC, the network that was enjoying tremendous success with The Cosby Show. Like Cosby, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is about a wealthy black family, but with Smith, sent from Philadelphia for an affluent upbringing, as the focal point. Smith really is from Philly, but the story about moving to Bel-Air with his aunt and uncle is concocted for fish-out-of-water comedy. The show earns respectable ratings, scarfing up lots of young viewers as it airs opposite MacGyver and Evening Shade. Concurrently, Will and Jeff keep their music career going with the album Homebase, released in the summer of 1991. They leave their juvenile songs behind, but keep it light, scoring their biggest hit with the breezy "Summertime" a hip-hop take on the disco hit "Ring My Bell." But their most successful song, by miles, is the theme to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith rapping the open was part of the pitch for the show. A huge fan of TV comedies, he had no trouble crafting lyrics that fleshed out the concept in clever fashion ("Yo homes, smell ya later"). Jazzy Jeff, a respected producer/DJ in the rap game, put together the beat; they had it done in less time than it takes to watch an episode. The show lasts six seasons, and far longer in syndication. In the summer of 1996, about a month after the last episode airs, Smith stars in Independence Day, the biggest film of the year. He becomes one of the most bankable and beloved movie stars, with starring roles in Men in Black (1997), Ali (2001) and Hitch (2005). DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince won a rap Grammy in 1989 for "Parents," demonstrating tremendous crossover appeal but also exposing a rift between their whimsical hip-hop and harder-edged rap from groups like Public Enemy and LL Cool J. But on the show, Smith isn't a professional rapper: he's a student. By frontlining a successful major-network TV series, he opens doors for other rappers who make the transition to TV and film.

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• Milestones
• Singing Actors
• TV Shows