Will Smith, who used to go by the moniker Fresh Prince, has announced his upcoming podcast, Class of ‘88. The eight-episode project will be produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook and Awfully Nice and celebrate Hip-Hop legends who rose to prominence in 1988.
Notable names scheduled to be on the show are Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Rakim and Chuck D. The show will also feature an episode with DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Godfather of Philly Hip-Hop and Smith’s former DJ. The first episode is scheduled to air October 26.
“Hip-hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades,” Smith said in an interview with Billboard. “I’m hyped to share my first-hand experiences, and those of some of Hip-Hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential genres of music in history.”
Why is 1988 so special to Will Smith? Just ask his wife, Jada Pinkett. It was the year he and DJ Jazzy Jeff dropped the Jive release of “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Pinkett reposted the entire video of her and 2Pac lip-syncing to the Grammy Award-winning song earlier this week.
The song was big—not only did Pinkett and ‘Pac love the song, but it also became the first rap song to win a Grammy in its own category. Smith and Jazzy Jeff boycotted the awards because the Recording Academy didn’t televise the award. Decades later, the rap categories are arguably the most exciting at the ceremony, and this year anchored the event with an outstanding tribute to 50 years of Hip-Hop.