Philadelphia artists are being debated, and one of the city’s icons, DJ Jazzy Jeff, is weighing in. The Rap legend began his career alongside his best friend Will Smith, and soon, the pair were a staple in the mainstream. They were teased about their propensity to avoid violent or sexually explicit lyrics. Instead, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince—their full stage name—gave us classics like “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” “Girls Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble,” and “Summertime.”
Recently, fellow Philly artists Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert’s names have been entangled in a debate. Fans have discussed whether Uzi’s “Just Wanna Rock” or Meek’s “Dreams and Nightmares” is the anthem for the City of Brotherly Love. HipHopDX caught up with Jeff and wanted him to share his thoughts as a native.
DJ Drama Lights The Fire
It was DJ Drama who first ignited this conversation. He was stopped by a TMZ cameraperson and offered the hot take. “I think it’s fair to say that ‘Just Wanna Rock’ has replaced — with all due respect — ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ as the new anthem of Philadelphia,” he said. Of course, Uzi was one of Drama’s artists so there may be a bias. “The new anthem of the Philadelphia Eagles this year. I’m looking forward to hearing that song many, many times Super Bowl weekend.”
The comments prompted Meek and Uzi to react. The latter honored his peer, calling Meek “the big homie.” Uzi also acknowledged that it was far too early to compare his new track to Meek’s classic. “That song like been around for a very long time,” said Uzi. “And that song is still hitting exactly the same way. I’m just gonna have to see, you know, in a couple of years or a decade or whatever.” Only time will tell.
DJ Jazzy Jeff Picks His Choice
“I don’t think you could ever go against Meek Mill’s ‘Dreams and Nightmares,’” said the music and television great. “Lil Uzi’s ‘Just Wanna Rock’ is a dope song. Everybody loves it, but ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ took the city by storm. It took every sports team by storm. So, it’s going to be ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ for me.”
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