He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper is the second studio album by hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It was the first double album in hip hop music, in its original vinyl incarnation.
| He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 29, 1988[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 72:19 (CD) 85:10 (Vinyl and cassette) | |||
| Label | 1091-J | |||
| Producer | Pete Harris, The Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff | |||
| DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince chronology | ||||
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| Singles from He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| Robert Christgau | B−[3] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10[4] |
| Sputnikmusic |  |
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album triple platinum on February 1, 1995,[6] and is the duo's most successful album. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.
Singles
The album's first single, "Brand New Funk", was only released promotionally and, thus, failed to achieve any commercial success. However, the album's second single, "Parents Just Don't Understand", won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance and reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] Although the album's third single, "Nightmare on My Street", which reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, was considered for inclusion in the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, the producers of the film decided against its inclusion. As a result, later vinyl pressings of the album contain a disclaimer sticker that says, "[This song] is not part of the soundtrack...and is not authorized, licensed, or affiliated with the Nightmare on Elm Street films."
Track listings
Original vinyl and cassette release
While released as a double album, Sides C and D were labeled as a "Bonus Scratch Album."[8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Nightmare on My Street" | Pete Harris, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Will Smith | 6:08 |
| 2. | "Here We Go Again" | 4:01 | |
| 3. | "Brand New Funk" | Will Smith | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Time to Chill" | 4:25 | |
| 5. | "Charlie Mack (First Out of the Limo)" | 4:46 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "As We Go" | 6:00 |
| 7. | "Parents Just Don't Understand" | 5:35 |
| 8. | "Pump Up the Bass" | 5:13 |
| 9. | "Let's Get Busy, Baby" | 4:06 |
| 10. | "Another Special Announcement" | 2:12 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Live at Union Square (November 1986)" | 4:07 |
| 12. | "D.J. on the Wheels" | 3:36 |
| 13. | "My Buddy" | 3:40 |
| 14. | "Rhythm Trax-House Party Style" | 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper" | 6:10 |
| 16. | "Hip Hop Dancer's Theme" | 3:48 |
| 17. | "Jazzy's in the House" | 4:10 |
| 18. | "Human Video Game" | 5:40 |
Original CD release
For the CD, "Nightmare on My Street", "As We Go", "D.J. on the Wheels" and the final four songs appear in edited form, and "Another Special Announcement" was omitted. A German edition omitted "Jazzy's in the House" and "Human Video Game" instead. On September 8, 2017 the full vinyl version was finally issued on CD, released by Real Gone Music under license from Sony Music Entertainment.[9]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nightmare on My Street" | 4:56 |
| 2. | "Here We Go Again" | 4:01 |
| 3. | "Brand New Funk" | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Time to Chill" | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Charlie Mack (First Out of the Limo)" | 4:46 |
| 6. | "As We Go" | 5:35 |
| 7. | "Parents Just Don't Understand" | 5:15 |
| 8. | "Pump Up the Bass" | 5:13 |
| 9. | "Let's Get Busy, Baby" | 4:06 |
| 10. | "Live at Union Square (November 1986)" | 4:07 |
| 11. | "D.J. on the Wheels" | 2:44 |
| 12. | "My Buddy" | 3:40 |
| 13. | "Rhythm Trax (House Party Style)" | 4:39 |
| 14. | "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper" | 4:57 |
| 15. | "Hip Hop Dancer's Theme" | 2:55 |
| 16. | "Jazzy's in the House" | 3:01 |
| 17. | "Human Video Game" | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 72:19 | |
Real Gone Music Reissue
Disc 1:
1. A Nightmare On My Street
2. Here We Go Again
3. Brand New Funk
4. Time To Chill
5. Charlie Mack: The 1st Out The Limo
6. As We Go
7. Parents Just Don't Understand
8. Pump Up The Bass
9. Let's Get Busy Baby
10. Another Special Announcement
11. Live @ Union Square, November 1986
12. DJ On The Wheels
13. My Buddy
14. Rhythm Trax-House Party Style
Disc 2:
1. He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper
2. Hip-Hop Dancer's Theme
3. Jazzy's In The House
4. Human Video Game
5. Parents Just Don't Understand [Single Edit]
6. Parents Just Don't Understand [Instrumental]
7. A Nightmare On My Street [Single Edit]
8. A Nightmare On My Street [Instrumental]
9. Brand New Funk [Extended Remix]
10. Brand New Funk [Live @ Nassau Coliseum]
11. Brand New Funk [Single Edit]
12. Brand New Funk [Instrumental]
13. Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble [1988 Extended Remix]
14. Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble [Single Edit]
15. Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble [Instrumental]
Samples
- "A Nightmare on My Street"
- Theme from A Nightmare on Elm Street by Charles Bernstein
- "Here We Go Again"
- "Brand New Funk"
- "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure
- "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown
- "I Can't Live Without My Radio" by LL Cool J
- "(Fallin' Like) Dominoes" by Donald Byrd
- "As We Go"
- “Impeach the President” by The Honey Drippers
- "Pump Up The Bass"
- "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
- "Time To Chill"
- "Breezin'" by George Benson
- "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper"
- "Live At Union Square (November 1986)"
- "Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn
- "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band
- "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly and Life
Charts
| Charts (1988)[10][11] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[12] | 23 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[13] | 47 |
| UK Albums Chart | 68 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 4 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 5 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed March 29, 2015.
- link
- Christgau, Robert (29 March 1988). "DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- Greene, Jayson. "DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- "DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (album review ) - Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com.
- RIAA Searchable Database - "DJ Jazzy Jeff". Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed November 10, 2008.
- Huff, Quentin B. (June 20, 2006). The Globalization of Beats & Rhymes. PopMatters. Accessed November 9, 2008.
- "DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper". Discogs.
- "Real Gone Music - News - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (Expanded Edition) (2CD-Set)". www.realgonemusic.com.
- Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts, p. 561. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
- allmusic ((( He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))). Allmusic. Accessed November 9, 2008.
- "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. 48 (26). October 15, 1988. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- "DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper". charts.nz. Hung Medien.
- "American album certifications – DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince – He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.