Among the many elements of Will Smith’s career that fans marvel at, his music career ranks at the top. Not only because it is hard to wrap one’s head around the fact that Will Smith is not just an Oscar-winning actor, but also a Grammy-winning musician. His alias, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, during his time as a rapper mostly came to be associated with his evergreen sitcom show. That in no way means his legacy as a music artist is any lesser than that of an actor. And with each summer that passes, it grows bigger, thanks to ‘Summertime’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

The hip-hop duo, consisting of Smith and Jeff, was one of the best things to happen in the music industry. Especially as the duo strayed from the mainstream trends of that time and focused on what they knew best: their home in Philadelphia. And that is how their chart-topping and Grammy-winning song, ‘Summertime’ came to be.

How did Will Smith write Summertime?

It is no secret that the Bad Boys actor throughout his time in the music industry kept his distance from curses and profanities owing to a promise he made to his grandmother. And this worked like a charm for The Fresh Prince, whose organic songs about “riding around in your jeep or your benzos,” struck a chord with the audience. What is more amusing about ‘Summertime’ is how the song was written. As per what DJ Jazzy Jeff shared with Spin, “Will’s flight was delayed, so he was in Chicago when he wrote it.”

Will Smith wrote one of his timeless hits during a flight delay. DJ Jazzy Jeff, one of Smith’s closest friends, talked about how the song was written when Will Smith was busy filming his sitcom. According to him, the actor was only writing about “what summers in Philadelphia were like.”

The filming in LA kept him away from summers in Philadelphia, which provided the right touch of nostalgia for Smith’s groovy lyrics. And even to this day, fans stand by it being the best Summer song of all time.

Fans believe in Summertime supremacy

One cannot imagine going into the Christmas season without ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ ringing all around the town. Akin to how fans cannot imagine a summer without ‘Summertime’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Will Smith. Therefore, as summer rolls around and music lovers vote for what is the song of the season, 1991 hit still emerges as a winner.

It is not much the quality, rhythm, or lyrics of the song that make it a favorite, but a combination of all factors. Many grew up listening to Will Smith rap about the simple things in summer and as the world around them gets harder to decipher, this song serves as a blanket of comfort.

The one song on the hip-hop duo’s fourth album that just effortlessly came to be became emerged at its best. A Grammy winner and chart toper back then, ‘Summertime’ is still considered to be among the best summer songs.

Did you also grow up listening to ‘Summertime’ by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff? Let us know in the comments below.