"Code Red", released in 1993, is the final album by the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. This is a nice Hip hop album which uses what had seen from the duo in each of their previous albums, no explicit lyrics, so the album is likely to be appreciated by a larger range of people and not just Hip hop heads, who tend to find this too mainstream in comparison to other artists in this genre.
1. Somethin' Like Dis
This track uses one of the most sampled lines in Hip hop hisotry, Slick Rick's "...as we go a little somethin' like dis", and moulds an entire track around this.
As such a classic Hip Hop sample from "La Di Da Di" is used, it forms a great basis on a track which talks about the requirements for such a track, referreing to legends like Run-DMC and using Dj techniques which formed the genre. The Fresh Prince also hits us with some quick rhymes.
**Four Stars**
2. I'm looking For The One
This has the feel of the good old days of R&B during the 90s when people such as Jodeci, BLACKstreet, and R. Kelly reigned, but though days are long gone, so it's nice to here something of the time which takes you back to the era even when I haven't heard the song before.
The Fresh Prince relly kills this with his rhymes and his feel for the rhythm which allows his lyrics to become one with the music to make it all sound together and not a load of separate elements which all come together to make something which sounds over-complicated.
3.
Boom! Shake The Room
This must have been the first track I ever heard from the pair as it was the first CD I ever asked for, and I was only 3 a the time, so I love this track and I had no idea of the popularity of this track before recently, so I expect that most will enjoy listening to this too.
It is a massive party tune which will get everyone on there feet incorrectly shouting out "Boom Boom Shake Shake The Room", (which really annoys me), but I really love it. It has endless energy and keeps you engaged throughout with the variation in rap approaches and tempo.
**Five Stars**
4. Can't Wait To Be With You
This uses the beat of Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much" effectively to create a great sound which is funky and can be compared to "I'm Looking For The One", as they are quite similar in their style by using R&B to create a smoother ersion of Hip Hop. This diversity in style certainly improves on the overall sound from the album.
I bet that just about anyone would be able to get itno this track as it isn't too hard, discouraging non-Hip Hop listeners, but it isn't too far from normal tunes that we would here in this genre, so don't be put off no matter what you usually listen to as you are likely to enjoy this regardless.
**Five Stars**
5. Twinkle Twinkle
The Fresh Prince Wil Smith brings a song which displays his modesty as he doesn't accept himself to be a star as everyone else believes, and at this time he would be overwhelmed by the attention he receive when he thought he was just like everyone else, but he definatley isn't.
i really liked the arrangeemnet of this by Jazzy Jeff as he used lots of samples to make it seem as though conversations were occrring during the track and Will would respond to them. I can see that he knows his music as the sources come from everwhere in music from a variety of era.
**Five Stars**
6. Code Red
This is a head-bopper, the best type of Hip hop in my opinion, where you can just sit back and relax, yuo aren't forced into getting into any lyricicism as the Fresh Prince comes with his unique light-hearted comic lines which he is most known for.
This one isn't just about Will though as DJ Jazzy Jeff has a little solo in the middle when he shows us his skills, apart from regular production, and how he uses the old techniques of scratching which Hip hop was made from.
This track track contains a sample of "A Date In The Rain" and this alonmg with the way, unlike usual the Fresh Prince comes with some rather hard lyrics with little emotion, which an ominous undertone.
I didn't really like this, because it doesn't do much of what I like the duo for, in fact it's the opposite of this, as if they have heard some Harrdcore Hip Hop and attempted to recreate this, but without such a violent dark lyrics, but the softer way which Will raps in genreal prevents him from achieving what I believe he tries to bring out here.
Roy Ayers' "Mystic Voyage" is used as a ssample and this nice soul groove acts as a good foundation for the track and Jazzy Jeff adds to it with some good bass which as Will says, forces you to bop you're head along to it.
I feel that these settings just create an atmosphere for the listener to listen to the track in the correct mindset as it is just a track to cotch to, you don't need to concentrate aat all, it just flows with you it's designed to relax to. This type of track has its place in this album as quite a lot is hyped, so just one like this is welcome, but it doens't really impact you.
**Two Stars**
9. Ain't No Place Like Home
"La Di Da Di" is sampled again here alongside "Melody For Thelma" by Blue Mitchell which creates a dreamy state for the listener and it makes you eel as though you are floating around, this again acts as a good set up for the theme of the track.
The subject of this is reminising upon the good old days at home and actually makes you relate to these times in your life, and Will even makes the point that eventhough we may enjou travelling around, you cannot compare to your home, where your family are.
10. I Wanna Rock
If you purchased "Willenium", one of Will's solo albums, you will here "Pump It Up", using Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's legendary track, where Jeff plays around with the track on command of Will, and this is the same, but with "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock.
DJ Jazzy Jeff comes with what the foundations of Hip Hop were built on as people played around with James Brown, but he uses something which the second generation of Hip Hop heads would be more familiar with and he plays around on the turntables to come out with excellent results.
**Five Stars**
11. Scream
"That's The Way I Like It" is used as a sample in this jingling track which shows what Hip Hop was like in its early days, prior to the addition where you would have to rely on call-and-response from the audience upon the funk beats.
This one isn't really as funky as what I would like it to be if it was going to create the ideal retro feeling, but apart from this, I get a strong feel of the seventies in New York, where Hip Hop was developing.
This is exactly the same as the original apart from the fact that the beat in the background has been replaced with that of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out", which gives the duo a little added street cred, but it doesn't compare to the original recording.
This is a well-rounded album by the pair and certainly displays the strength of the artists. Although it wasn't thjhe last time they workjed together, as Jazzy Jeff produced many of Will's later albums, it's a shame that the duo didn't stick together after this to continue to bring some real Hip Hop, and not pop rap that we heard with "Switch" and Will Smith's later singles.
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