October 31, 2023
Will Smith hilariously recounted a bizarre incident from the late 1980s when he attempted a makeshift surgery on DJ Jazzy Jeff's leg using butter knives.
In a recent episode of his new podcast, Class of '88, which aired on Friday, offered a glimpse into the early days of their music career and the unorthodox measures they were willing to take to achieve their dreams.
The incident took place in 1987, when the duo was working on their album in a London hotel room under immense pressure to create a hit record quickly.
However, DJ Jazzy Jeff, real name Jeffrey Allen Townes, had a full-length leg cast from a car accident, which was long overdue for removal. The cast had begun to irritate his kneecap, prompting Will Smith to devise a daring plan to liberate his friend from the cast.
Smith's "brilliant" idea involved using 24 butter knives from the hotel's room service to saw off the cast. Unfortunately, the process didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped. The cast got stuck halfway down Jeff's leg, leaving him in a comical and inconvenient situation.
Amidst laughter and panic, a friend of Jam Master Jay's family named Jeremy "JL" Lam entered the scene. He swiftly resolved the situation by using a jagged edge from a beef stew can to cut the cast horizontally, leading to its successful removal in just seven minutes.
The incident, filled with laughter and chaos, epitomizes the determination and resourcefulness of the duo during their early days in the music industry.
Class of '88 offers listeners a unique perspective on the late '80s hip-hop scene and features conversations with several icons from the era, including Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Rakim, and Chuck D.
Will Smith's podcast provides a fascinating journey through the roots of their musical success and the hilarious adventures that came with it.