music industry

From a young kid growing up in Philadelphia to winning Grammy awards alongside is friend and longtime music partner Will Smith, there isn’t much DJ Jazzy Jeff hasn’t done.

In fact, he’ll be joining LL Cool J’s tour, “Rock The Bells & Live Nation Urban Presents The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live,” this summer.

But aside from performing, the father, DJ and producer prefers to work behind the scenes these days. Now, he’s introducing a platform to lift up the new generation of music legends.

Command Central: Making Beats is an interactive online program catered to mentoring those with dreams of being successful producers acquire the necessary skills it takes to win in today’s music industry. Powered by Raptive, the program provides resources to students to create their own original beats.

The six-week program offers students a deeper look in to what goes behind creating a good song including mixing, drums, sampling and more.

In addition to learning the fundamentals, students can also get one-on-one feedback from industry professionals like The Roots member James Poyser and mastermind producer Ivan Barias, both of whom are behind some of the biggest hits by Neo-Soul’s finest.

As if those perks weren’t enough, students will also have the opportunity to have their music incorporate in to DJ Jazzy Jeff’s live sets.

DJ Jazzy Jeff tells us more about how his new program and the crazy story behind the making of one of the most popular theme songs of all time.

After spending more than three decades in the music industry, what inspired you to finally create this program? 

I’ve done some mentorship in an organically in a one-off capacity over the years and being able to see how I’ve influenced the trajectory of folks’ careers is what inspired a more built out program.

I wanted to create a program that was accessible to everyone and give people a chance to experience a deeper level of mentorship and hopefully through these close sessions, cultivate a deeper affinity for the craft and appreciation for every level of the beat making process.

What do you think is a common misconception about music production?

A common misconception is that there is one singular way “right” path to producing. The way music was produced years ago has evolved in how we make music today. Over time I think we’ve all had to learn the ebbs and flows of how to approach our craft and that’s what makes music today so unique and interesting. Often people also think that you need top of the line gear to produce hits and that’s not true either. As long as your core foundational skills are strong (which we teach through this program) and it’s balanced with a level of street smart, you can be successful.

What’s the most valuable lesson you want students to take away from this program?

Your journey into your music career can start at any time, age, level or skill set. That’s at the heart of this program – accessibility for all. Acknowledging the diversity that is all around us in the music industry and designing a program around this concept was very important to me.

You describe your DJ brain and your producer brain as being very different. What would you say is the most significant difference between DJ Jazzy Jeff and producer Jazzy Jeff?

I wouldn’t say that they are so different… I just never combine the two. I never go in the studio and work on production for me to play as a DJ like I was the artist. I play so many different types and styles of music that I am figuring out that I can go in the studio and make what I want to play. Make my own remixes, make my own edits. I’m learning to get better at combining both things.

It’s easy for producers to be limited to producing one type of music. How do you avoid creating the same thing over and over?

I think the key for me is that I enjoy a lot of different types of music so that allows me not to be pigeonholed into just making one thing. Seeking out inspiration everywhere at any time. Having a natural fascination with the world around us and being curious enough to explore it is what keeps the music fresh.

I also don’t go into the studio with a preconceived notion of what I’m going to make… I just let whatever comes out happen and I put it where it fits.

One thing that students can learn by enrolling in your program is how to tap into to their style. Some producers have a signature sound that is included in a lot of the songs they produce; how would you describe your style?

I think I’m more concerned about my music feeling good then sounding good… Of course, I want it to sound great, but I’m more concerned about it feeling great and making sure my music taps into emotions. I’m in love with good-feeling music, so I try to make that when I’m in the studio.

Songs can tell a story but the story behind the creation of those songs are rarely told. What’s the funniest or craziest thing that’s happened while you were in the studio? 

I think the story of how the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song came about is the craziest thing I’ve done. I told Will when he got the show that there’s no way he could have a show and we not do the music… So, when he told Quincy Jones that, Quincy said then you guys make it. The day I started working on it, I only had 15 minutes because I had to go somewhere. So, I just went into the studio and put down my first idea and Will wrote to it in that same 15 minutes. I honestly thought it was going to be a temporary song until we came up with the real song, and that’s the song that you hear 30+ years later… Same song, same mix. It’s really mind-blowing.

While the program is already launched, registration for DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Command Central is still open and can be accessed here.