On April 28, Jive will street a greatest-hits album and home video from Will Smith's early musical incarnation, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The set will feature the rap/pop duo's hits from 1988-1993, culled from its platinum discs "He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper" and "Homebase." Tracks "Parents Just Don't Understand, "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," and "Ring My Bell" will be included on the set, as will the previously unreleased theme song from TV show "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air," which starred Smith in its lead role. In addition, the album will feature two new remixes of the single "Summertime," as well as Smith's 1997 smash hits "Men In Black" and "Just Cruisin'," both from the motion picture "Men In Black."
In other old-skool news, Rhino Records will release May 19 a three-part collection of seminal '80s hip-hop tracks. Featuring cuts by Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Special Ed, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul, the "Underground Rap" series will trace "lost hits" and B-sides that never made it past vinyl pressings but nonetheless laid the groundwork for today's hip-hop innovations. The collection was compiled by Barry Benson, erstwhile host of rap show "Rockbarry's Funky Dope Maneuver" on KUCR Riverside, Calif.
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