Meet '215,' a series drawn from Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s early years
Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s life and career are headed to a new series — the real intrigue is in exactly how their story gets told.
Set against Philadelphia ’s late-’80s/early-’90s hip-hop boom, the scripted series 215 will track two teenage friends hustling for a record deal — juggling label meetings, friendships and the messy realities of trying to break in — according to Deadline.
The show is inspired by the rise of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, whose partnership turned teenage ambitions into Grammy-winning success. Before TV fame, the duo broke through with hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.”
What the show covers
- Two teens navigating Philadelphia’s hip-hop scene while chasing a record deal
- Early struggles and a creative partnership coming together
- Label meetings, shifting friendships and the hurdles of launching a music career
Behind the scenes, Westbrook Studios is producing 215, and the project is the first to emerge from the company’s new partnership with The Malar Group, founded by Sayan Navaratnam, per Deadline. Westbrook will continue to develop and produce projects funded by The Malar Group under the pact.
Terence Carter, Westbrook’s President of Television, connected the series directly to the duo’s roots in their hometown.
“215 is especially meaningful to us because it draws from the rise of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and celebrates Philadelphia during such a defining era in the city’s late-’80s/early-’90s hip-hop scene.”
Smith and Jazzy Jeff already share a TV legacy: on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith played a fictionalized version of himself while Jazzy Jeff recurred as his best friend. The sitcom’s ensemble also included James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons and Tatyana M. Ali.