Will Smith, who used to go by the moniker Fresh Prince, announced his upcoming podcast: Issue of ’88. The eight-episode project is produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook and Awulously Nice and celebrates the hip-hop legends who rose to fame in 1988.
The show will feature big names such as Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Rakim and Chuck D. The show will also feature an episode featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff, the godfather of Philadelphia hip-hop and the Smith’s . former DJ. The first episode will air on October 26.
“Hip-hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades,” Smith told the magazine. Billboard. “I’m thrilled to share my first-hand experiences and insights from some of hip-hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential music genres in history.”
Why was 1988 so special for Will Smith? Just ask his wife Jada Pinkett. This was the year he and DJ Jazzy Jeff released “Parents Just Don’t Doesn'” on Jive. Earlier this week, Pinkett posted a full video of her and 2Pac lip-syncing to the Grammy Award-winning song.
The song was a big success: not only did Pinkett and Park like it, but it also became the first rap song to win a Grammy in its category. Smith and Jazzy Jeff boycotted the awards because the Recording Academy did not televise the awards. Decades later, the rap categories have arguably become the ceremony’s most interesting categories, and this year’s event cemented itself with an outstanding tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.