Album: And in This Corner...
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Genre: Hip Hop and Rap
Release Date: October 31, 1989
Introduction
I wanted to continue on the albums that I have from DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I think that their albums are better than what people give them credit for. Most people remember their previous efforts but I think this album is where their popularity started to sink. This was not due to not creating a good album but I think at the time that this came out, the rap landscape was changing and they were not fitting in that mold.
Let us see if this album is still not bad after all these years.
Track Listing
"Then She Bit Me" - 3:35
"I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" - 4:49
"Jazzy's Groove" - 3:43
"Everything That Glitters (Ain't Always Gold)" - 4:17
"You Got It (Donut)" - 4:56
"The Girlie Had a Mustache" - 4:32
"The Reverend" - 4:31
"Who Stole My Car?" - 4:57
"The Men of Your Dreams" - 4:52
"Numero Uno" - 4:08
"Too Damn Hype" - 5:41
"Jeff Waz on the Beat Box" - 5:42
Review
This album did not change the formula from He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. There are some funny raps, self touting raps and the usual DJ Jazzy Jeff solo efforts. Basically it seems that they did not want to change the formula that worked in the past.
I really like the track I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson. At this time boxer Mike Tyson was very popular. This is a good song about how The Fresh Prince is thinking about beating Iron Mike Tyson in a fight. I really like the flow of the track.
Other story driven tracks were The Girlie Had a Mustache, Who Stole My Car? and Everything That Glitters (Ain't Always Gold). All these songs showcase the group's sense of humor and these songs are enjoyable and have some decent beats. These tracks were in the same vein as Parents just Don't Understand from their previous album.
Numero Uno and Too Damn Hype were 2 tracks that were touting how great the group is. These are mandatory for any rap album. Decent beats on both of these but I prefer Numero Uno as I think the rap is solid.
My personal favourite track on the album is Jeff Waz on the Beat Box. This song showcased the great DJing skills of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the good rhymes of The Fresh Prince. This is essentially a song about how great DJ jazzy Jeff is.
There were less songs on this album that focused only on DJ Jazzy Jeff. The only track that does this is Jazzy's Groove. It was good but I think his previous efforts were better.
Bottomline
I think that this album is a great entry in their repertoire. Although it was considered a disappointment because of the lower sales numbers, this is as good of an album as He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper.
We were starting to see The Fresh Prince taking more space on the albums. There were more tracks that had story telling aspects to them. This does not mean that it is bad but it does show a trend that continues on their next album Homebase.
Overall, this is a good album. There are some decent raps and there are some good tunes. Yes, like in previous efforts, there is some sampling, but once again I really do not mind that. It is an enjoyable album that I do listen when I want to listen to something lighter.
I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arroundtable
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aroundtable.ca/
Email: allroundtable@gmail.com
Website: http://www.aroundtable.ca/