Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff New TV Series: '215' Explores Philly Roots

A new scripted television series titled 215 will explore the formative years of the Grammy-winning Philadelphia rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, featuring Will Smith and Jeffrey Allen Townes. The series, in development by Westbrook Studios, offers a fictionalized account of Smith's journey before achieving widespread fame.

The title 215 pays homage to Philadelphia's original area code, highlighting the city's connection to the duo's origins. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were active from 1984 to 1994, releasing five albums. Their 1988 album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper included the hit "Parents Just Don’t Understand," which won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989.

Terence Carter, president of television at Westbrook Studios, said the project "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." The series will examine Smith's early ambitions, his partnership with Townes, and the friends who supported their pursuit of a record deal.

Westbrook Studios previously produced Bel-Air, a dramatic reboot inspired by Smith's 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The new series aims to depict the Fresh Prince persona before Smith's move to Hollywood and global stardom.