DJ Jazzy Jeff amp Fresh Prince - Rock the House (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Hear Where It All Began For Will Smith!

Ervin Griffin | Bluefield, WV | 06/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is classic! I am glad its available in CD form! It has a couple of tracks that I would love to hear once more! Definitely get it to hear how the old schoolers used to do it!"

Rock the house with Will and Jeff, old-school style!

Hype Currie | Detroit, Michigan United States | 02/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before Hollywood, Before the Grammys, et. al., there was DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, a new rap group out of Philadelphia, who signed to then-indie rap label Jive Records (currently home to such uber-pop stars like Britney Spears, NSYNC, Aaron Carter, etc.).This is a MUST for hip hop fans of Will Smith-- The first album that he and Jazzy Jeff recorded, it hit shelves in 1987, after the underground single "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" made the duo ghetto celebrities in Philly and the mid 80's East Coast rap scene--Jeff's ear for funky beats and breaks is apparent, as is Will's talent for comedic storytelling and capable battle-rhymes. Also featured is their frequent stage collaborator, Ready Rock C the beatbox. Listen to him beat-box the "Sanford & Son" theme on the title cut..the best cuts are "Girls..." which ingeniously sampled the theme song to "I dream of Jeannie", and back then sample costs didn't break your album budget; "The Magnificent...", where the Prince rhymes about his partner's turntable wizardry; "Just One of those days", where the Prince describes a string of bad-luck days; "A touch of Jazz", one of rap's first instrumental DJ showcases; "Guys ain't nothing but trouble", the "answer" record to "Girls..", featuring currently MIA lady rhymer Ice Creem Tee.Much ado has been made about the duo's pop success overwhelming their dedication to hip-hop aesthetics, but this album is definitely a keeper."

Pioneering Hip Hop album, A Milestone

Tall Paul | San Diego, CA United States | 02/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the greatest hip hop albums ever. Still sounds great even in year 2005. Jazzy Jeff is one the greatest DJ's ever. This album pioneered the Transformer scratch into Hip Hop and it also pioneered the infusion of Jazz into hip hop."

Ain't Nothin' But A Party Y'all {4 Stars} --- Review No.

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 03/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rock The House, JJ & FP's debut album, is an overlooked and forgotten LP that is one of the duo's (trio if you count fringe member Ready Rock C) best albums. This album, along with Steady B's 1988 single "Serious (BDP Remix)", are what made me pay more attention to DJ's. DJ Tat Money kills the end of Serious and Jazzy Jeff, my favorite DJ to this day, wrecks this entire album. There are great party tracks like "Girls Ain't Nothing But Troublee", "Rock The House", "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", and "Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble" which features the unfairly forgotten Ice Cream Tee. Also, "A Touch Of Jazz" is a classic, hands down. The extended cut on the 12" is better because it has more scratching and it's longer -- it's 6:46 while the lp version is only 3:21 and features Fresh Prince rapping on it. Personally, I thought Jazzy Jeff shouting out the three guys that got him started mixing was really cool -- Pearly Lewis, Kenneth Adams, & Mark Johnson. Hell, I'd like to give a shout out myself even though I don't know them. Anyway, if you're looking to hear what Will Smith sounded like when he was still hungry and still giving rap 100% of his attention, then get this. It's dope, and with the exception of a few tracks, it holds up well 20 years after it's release.

As far as skip material, I'd have to say that "Taking It To The Top" and "Don't Even Try It" are pretty forgettable. I didn't like them when this album came out though. Like I already mentioned, they just don't hold up well over the years. The rest of the album is dope. Will, Jazzy, and Ready Rock all do their thing.

Rock The House is a light, fun, party lp. You can rock a party with this album as well as play it in front of your mother. Though they don't get many props anymore (well, Will doesn't), acts like DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince are just as responsible for bringing rap music to a broader audience as acts like Run DMC. I recommend adding this album to your library.

Standout Tracks: A Touch Of Jazz (My Favorite), Just One Of Those Days, Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble feat. Ice Cream Tee, The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff, Rock The House, Special Announcement, and Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble (1988 Extended Remix)"

There's 2 versions!

winemansteve | Leander, Texas United States | 03/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had an original cassette release and the lyrics to "Girls ain't Nothing But Trouble" are different than a later version I purchased. In my original version Will says, "...so I hit her with trash can and ran like Hell" in the newer version its cleaned up to, "...so I handed her my wallet and ran like Hell". I guess the record company was already cleaning him up for mainstream.
Still, this is one of the all time great hip hop albums. Great beats, unique beat boxing, Will keeping it tight albeit a bit corny and Jeff bringing the jazz. I'm still trying to replace my worn out tape with a CD. REISSUE! REISSUE!"

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	DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince Rock the House Genres: Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop Track Listings (10) - Disc #1 Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble Just One of Those Days Rock the House Taking It to the Top The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff Just Rockin' Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble A Touch of Jazz Don't Even Try It Special Announcement - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Goodman, D.
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