🧢 Old School Wednesday
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince ~ “Summertime” (1991)
And think of the summers of the past
Adjust the bass and let the Alpine blast
Pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme
And put your car on cruise and lay back ’cause this is summertime
DRUMS PLEASE!
Every summer has a soundtrack ~ and this might be the gold standard.
“Summertime” has been a seasonal anthem since DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince dropped it back in 1991. A perfect mix of chill, feel-good flow, and nostalgia. Even decades later, one play of that opening synth line and you’re instantly transported:
BBQs, block parties, beach days, top-down drives, and long afternoons that melt into warm nights.
And that voice?
Smooth. Laid-back. Unbothered.
Will Smith ~ yes, that Will Smith ~ was just one season into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and five years away from Independence Day, the first of several Fourth of July blockbuster releases.
But on “Summertime,” his delivery was less “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and more Rakim:
Effortless. Confident. Cool.
It felt like you had just moved to the neighborhood, and he was handing you the manual on summer fun ~ while somehow making you feel like the main character the whole time.
The story behind the track is great.
And the beat?
DJ Jazzy Jeff added his signature touch and mixed the final version over a production from Hula & K.
“Summertime” wasn’t just a song ~ it was a mood.
Still is.
🧪 Sample Breakdown
“Summertime” felt like summer.
You could sense the static heat, the humidity, the glow of streetlights, and the bassline bouncing off backyard speakers.
The secret sauce?
A dreamy Hula & K instrumental that pulled from funk, soul, and smooth jazz:
🎷 Main Sample:
Kool & The Gang ~ “Summer Madness” (1974)
That moody synth line gave “Summertime” its chilled-out foundation. Slowed down, looped, and brought into a new era.
🥁 Drum Sample:
James Brown ~ “Funky Drummer”
A quick, tight drum roll right after the “DRUMS PLEASE!” scratch ~ subtle, but absolutely present.
🎛️ DJ Accents:
DJ Jazzy Jeff’s fingerprints are all over the final mix: from scratches to vocal textures and transitions (c’mon, the man helped pioneer the Transformer Scratch technique).
👉 “Summertime” samples on WhoSampled
💭 Final Thoughts
It’s hard to overstate how universal “Summertime” became.
Whether you were from Philly or Fresno, this track turned wherever you were into a good time.
And while Will Smith went on to become a global icon and DJ Jazzy Jeff remains one of the most respected DJs alive, this song captures them both at their most kinetic, most nostalgic, and most timeless.
Throw it on your Fourth of July playlist.
You can’t go wrong.
☀️ “Time to sit back and unwind…”
‘cuz its summertime.
