The story of how Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff went from Philadelphia teenagers to one of hip-hop’s first mainstream crossover acts is being developed into a TV show.
On Tuesday (Oct. 6), Deadline revealed Will’s production company, Westbrook Studios, is developing a scripted series titled 215, which will be inspired by Smith’s early life and teenage years in Philadelphia’s Wynnefield neighborhood. The series will follow a young rapper and DJ as they come up through the city’s late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop scene, pursue a record deal and navigate how fame affects their friendships and relationships with their hometown.
Will and Jeff first met at a house party in West Philadelphia in 1985. The two quickly began making music together and eventually formed DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Their 1988 album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper became a major commercial success, helping establish the duo as one of hip-hop’s earliest mainstream breakouts. And of course, Will would later become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
“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,” Terence Carter, president of television at Westbrook Studios, said in a statement.
The series is still in development and does not yet have a network or streaming home, cast or release date. Westbrook Studios is developing the project in partnership with Canadian production company The Malar Group, which plans to produce several projects with the studio.
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