Throw on your Brightest ShirtandContinue To Rock as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Song: Jeff Waz On The Beatbox Album: And In This Corner... (1989) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A Bonus Fun Fact: This song features a sample from the 1978 song "Sing Sing" by Gaz!
I have loved collecting cards since I was 6 years old. Recently it's been a bit of a hassle keeping up with the hobby by attempting to actually locate products or seeing the huge prices secondary sellers are trying to get. Regardless, I still enjoy opening a fresh pack of cards whether it be baseball, basketball or Garbage Pail Kids! Recently I was sitting in my basement with my kids going through some of my collection and I realized that I have some pretty cool non-sports cards. Today, I'd like to share a few more of those cards with you. Let's begin!
2002 Inkworks MIIB #PW1
I've stated on here before about how big of a Fresh Prince/Will Smith fan I am and it may come to no surprise that I loved the Men In Black films. This card set came out in 2002 and I did buy a few packs in hope that I would get lucky and pull one of these relic cards. I never did pull one, but I kept it on my wish list and would check the eaby listings from time to time. I finally found this card featuring a piece of screen worn MIB suit, for around $5. I know it's not from Will's suit, but still a cool piece of MIB memorabilia.
2006 Topps Chrome #CO-JM
Last week I told you all about my love of Jenny McCarthy back in the 90s, but as time went on so did I. She still holds a special place in my teenage years, but by the time this card was released I really could have cared less. I think I received this card in a relic card lot that I bought pretty cheap.
2008 Upper Deck Semi-Pro #1
I am a big fan of the movie Semi-Pro and, in my opinion, it's one of Will Ferrell's funniest movies. In 2008 Upper Deck released a 3 card set to help promote the movie. The other 2 cards feature Andre 3000 as Clarence "Coffee" Brown and Woody Harrelson as Ed Monix. I found these pretty cheap and they always make me smile when I see them in my collection.
2015 Panini Americana #MS-JJ
The other half of my most favorite rap duo of all-time, DJ Jazzy Jeff has made quite a name for himself in the music industry. Yes, I enjoy his Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince albums, but I also really like his solo stuff that he has put out over the years. Each album is it's own mix tape and features production by Jeff with guest vocals by some of the biggest names in hip-hop like Eminem, The Roots, Method Man & Biz Markie. This is one card I will never let go of!
1995 Sports Stars USA #103
Again I am ending on a card that features one of the greatest sporting icons of all-time, Michael Jordan. I found this in a dollar box at a local card shop and had to pick it up. It features Jordan in his White Sox attire during his baseball playing phase in the 90's and encourages us all to eat our Wheaties. I like the shimmery faux autograph on the front and the basic back really help to make this oddball card a standout in my collection! Did you collect non-sports cards back in the day? If so, let us know what your favorite sets to collect were in the comment section below.
Throw on your knifed glove and head to Elm Street as we take you back to the 80's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Song: A Nightmare On My Street Album: He's The DJ...I'm The Rapper Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 15 Bonus Fun Fact: This song led to a lawsuit by New Line Cinema against JJ & FP for copyright infringement. The lawsuit was settled out of court and the music video was to be destroyed and a disclaimer was to be placed on all future pressings of the album. The disclaimer noted that this song is in no way authorized, licensed or affiliated with the Nightmare on Elm Street films.
The year was 1988 and I was at my friend Corey's birthday party. His Mom had taken about 10 of us to Bushkill Falls in PA for some outdoor fun. After a hike we were then taken out for pizza and some roller skating at Bushkill Park!
As us rowdy 7-10 year olds were racing around the track a song came over the speakers in the roller rink. It was a song I had never heard before! It had a cool beat, high energy and lyrics talking about Freddy Krueger! I had to know what it was. I asked one of my friends and he said "Nightmare On My Street". From that point I was hooked on the catchy rhymes of Fresh Prince and the amazing cuts of DJ Jazzy Jeff!
I bought all their albums from "Rock The House" to "Code Red" and even got in a fight with my buddy Little Joe when he told me that Fresh Prince sucked! Well, we all know what happened to Fresh Prince aka Will Smith after his rapping days with Jazzy Jeff were over, but what became of Jazzy Jeff?
He had some great appearances on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" TV show and was a video game character in DJ Hero, but did you know he has released some great hip-hop albums and produced songs for some amazing artists? He has worked with everyone from Bart Simpson (Deep, Deep Trouble) to Eminem (When To Stand Up) and Jeff is still writing, producing and cutting up records with the best of them today! Like any good DJ, a good percentage of DJ Jazzy Jeff's releases are mixtapes, but he has put out a few records with original content. No matter what the content, I have enjoyed them all. Here are some of the albums of Jeff's I have in my collection:
HIP HOP FOREVER II: MIXED BY DJ JAZZY JEFF
2004 BBE
Favorite Tracks: "Danger" by Blahzay Blahzay, "Buck Em' Down" by Black Moon & "Electric Relaxation" by A Tribe Called Quest
HIP HOP FOREVER III: COMPILED AND MIXED BY DJ JAZZY JEFF
2006 BBE
Favorite Tracks: "Passing Me By" by The Pharcyde, "Mass Appeal" by Gang Starr & "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep
HE'S THE KING, I'M THE DJ
2009 DJ Jazzy Jeff & UNDRCRWN
Favorite Tracks: "Human Nature/Right Here Mix" by Michael Jackson & SWV, "Remember The Time" by Michael Jackson & "Off The Wall" by Michael jackson
DJ JAZZY JEFF: THE SOUL MIXTAPE
2005 Groovin' Records
Favorite Tracks: "No Tears" by Pete Rock featuring Leela James, "Make Love Last Forever" by Michael Bohannon & "Daydreamin'" by Kelli Sae
THE MAGNIFICENT
2002 BBE
Favorite Tracks: "Da Nitro" feat. Pauly Yamz & Baby Blak, "Mystery man" feat. The Last Emperor & "How I Do" feat. Shawn Stockman & Cy Young
THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT
2007 BBE
Favorite Tracks: "The Definition" feat. Kel Spencer, "Practice" feat. J Live & "Brand New Funk 2K7" feat. Peedi Peedi
Not only do I have a decent collection of DJ Jazzy Jeff albums, but I also purchased this autographed 2015 Panini Americana card for around $10 a few years ago, but that's not all...
I also picked up this autographed DJ Jazzy Jeff World Tour lanyard! I got this from Jazzy Jeff's website back in the day for around $10-$15. You can visit his site if you want to check out the rest of the merch that includes shirts, vinyl albums, masks, hoodies & more. While you are visiting DJJazzyJeff.com, don't forget to check out the "Music" section for your chance to download some of his mixtapes for FREE! I highly recommend the "Summertime" mixtape series put together by Jeff & Mick Boogie. These are the perfect playlists for any cookout or a game of any backyard sports!
And there you have it! A collection of music and memorabilia from one of the best DJs of all time! Thanks for reading. As a reward below is a "Magnificent Lunch Break" from 3/3/21! Man, he's still got it after all these years! ENJOY!!!!
Throw on your Le Coq Sportif, and yell "Geronimo" and jump out the window as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble
Album: Rock The House (1986)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #57
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was the debut single by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and contains a musical sample from the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song! This music video was accidentally shown on MTV in 2016 during a Prince marathon to honor the artist after his passing.
Throw on your backwards cap, and work that booty as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Boom! Shake The Room
Album: Code Red (1993)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #13
Bonus Fun Fact: This song reached #1 on the charts in Australia, Ireland, Spain and the UK and was certified Gold with sales over 600,000 by the RIAA!
Halloween has always been a fun time in my family and this year was no different. I loved going around town with my friends as a kid and causing mischief while collecting free goodies from our neighbors. Those memories are so vivid in my mind. I hope my kids have the same nostalgia for this night of ghosts and goblins as I do as an adult and they can pass it down to their kids.
The season started off with our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch so we could find the perfect specimens for our jack-o-lanterns. This trip would not be complete without a trip through the corn maze! This is my favorite part of the trip. Unfortunately this year I missed out on the maze due to a prior engagement to work with the Alzheimer's Association. At least I missed it for a good cause. I was still able to meet up with the fam in the pumpkin patch.
We each picked our pumpkins and carved them the weekend before Halloween. My kids carved a crying/laughing emoji face, a cat face and a ghost! I carved James Kochalka's comic character Johnny Boo! My kids love the Johnny Boo comics and if you have kids I highly suggest checking them out.
Of course Halloween is a fantastic time for tricks and treats and Burger King outdid them self by treating us all to the ultra tasty Nightmare King! It's a Whopper patty, with a fried chicken patty and bacon on top on a green bun! I had to hit up BK a few times this October, because the thing is so damn good! They need to keep this on the menu all year round. I would buy it every time!
We hit up Halloween Comicfest at our local comic shop and the owner had no limit on the comics my kids could take and he gave them candy! I was able to grab the comics I wanted which were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hellboy, Spider-Man and Jughead: The Hunger!
On Halloween my wife and I took the kids trick or treating. Not many kids in our town go door to door anymore. It's mostly trunk or treats, parties or the one street in town they block off for the event. We have done the blocked off street before and the decor is fantastic, but since so many people go there, you have to wait in line to get your candy and since the home owners see so many kids that night they only give 1 piece per person. That really doesn't bother me, but when you have 3 kids under 10 it's a big deal to them! A few years ago we discovered a neighborhood that does not have a lot of kids stop by and they are very generous with the candy. Some even give full size bars! This is our treasure trove! So that's where we went again this year!
After a crazy night of trick or treating we made it home. The kids went to bed late all on a sugar high. Eventhough it was late I was still able to watch a Halloween episode of The Goldbergs and my movie pick for the night was A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors. It was a great way to end a fun night with the family. Hope everyone had a great Halloween also! Now enjoy the recently uncovered video to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's "Nightmare on my Street" as we look forward to Halloween 2019!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Hockey Mask, cut your hair in the fresh Psycho style and slip on your knife fingered glove as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the Halloween Edition of the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Then She Bit Me
Album: And In This Corner(Released 1989) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: This song contains references to Nintendo, Shaft, Twilight Zone and Chucky from Child's Play!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Cross Colours, cut your hair in the fresh Cornrow style and slip on your Adidas as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Summertime
Album: Homebase (Released 1991)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 4
Bonus Fun Fact: Summertime won the 1992 Grammy Award for "Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group"!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the Throwback Jam of the Week! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop & rap from the 80s & 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they get you off your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Starter Cap, get your hair cut in the fresh Crimped style and slip on your Adidas kicks as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 Throwback Jam of the week...
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Song: Brand New Funk
Album: He's The DJ...I'm The Rapper (Released 1988)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: NA
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was updated in 2007 by DJ Jazzy Jeff featuring rapper Peedi Peedi
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the Throwback Jam of the Week! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop & rap from the 80s & 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they get you off your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Zubaz, get your hair cut in the fresh High-top Fade style and slip on your British Knights kicks as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 Throwback Jam of the week...
Artist: The Simpsons
Song: Deep, Deep Trouble
Album: The Simpsons Sing The Blues (Released 1990)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 69
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was co-written and produced by DJ Jazzy Jeff!!!
I am huge fan of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I've been listening to their music since "Rock The House" came out in 1986. So asking me to pick my favorite album out of the bunch is like asking me to pick my favorite kidney! I can't rank from Best to Worst, because there are no bad albums. In my opinion, just some that are better than the rest! Let's give it a shot!
#1: Code Red (1993)
Fave Cut: "Ain't No Place Like Home"
I know most people would make "Homebase" their #1 pick because it has "Summertime" on it, but if I had to listen to one of JJ & FP's albums over and over, it would be Code Red. This album is a little more grown up, the rhymes and beats are tighter and the selection of songs is great! Some of the top tracks are "Somethin' Like Dis" & "Just Kickin It", but my favorite is "Ain't No Place Like Home". It reminds me of my family. Being so far away from them, I can appreciate the thought that went into creating this song.
#2: Homebase (1991)
Fave Cut: Summertime
This album is not only a JJ & FP classic, but it is a milestone in Hip-Hop and won the group their second Grammy. Obviously "Summertime" is one of the all-time great rap songs, but cuts like "I'm All That" and "Trapped On The Dance Floor" get overlooked because Summertime is so damn good! My only complaint on Homebase is the inclusion of the song "You Saw My Blinker". I understand this is another funny story rap, but the inclusion of the word "Bitch" so many times causes me to skip the song while listening with the kids. It's such a steep departure from what we expect from these guys. Still, with this minor complaint, I highly recommend you pick this album up!
#3: He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper (1998)
Fave Cut: Brand New Funk
This is the album that put JJ & FP on the map! It includes the hit jams "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Nightmare On My Street". The "Parents" video hit huge rotation on MTV in 1988 and brought the dynamic duo into so many houses. Without this album we may not have had any more JJ & FP albums, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Will Smith in Independence Day! This album was a multi platinum smash, won a Grammy Award and also was the first ever rap double-record release. Historic, fun and old school hip-hop at it's finest!
#4: Rock The House
Fave Cut: Just Rockin'
The CD that I own is the re-mastered version of "Rock The House". The original had a few lyrics in it that may have been seen as a little to naughty for the intended audience. An example is from the song "Just One Of Those Days". The original lyric was "I couldn't resist so I grabbed her butt!" The word "Butt" was covered over by a scratch sound and sounds like it was changed to say "Belt" in the re-release? They also added an exchange between JJ & FP at the end of "Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble" to include references to "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Nightmare On My Street". Not huge problems, but I wish they would release the original version in all it's glory on CD or iTunes. I still have the original on Cassette tape somewhere at my Mom's house.
#5: And In This Corner
Fave Cut: Numero Uno
Once again, I have to say that this is not a terrible album, it's just my least favorite out of the 5. It contains the hit "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" and other solid songs. It just feels to me that this one was rushed a little bit and does not contain the same creativity as past releases. Fun Fact: Did you know James Avery and Alfonso Ribeiro have cameos in the "Tyson" video?
