Summertime (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince song)


"Summertime" is a song by American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It was released in May 1991 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Homebase. The song was produced by Chicago-based producers Hula & K. Fingers with songwriting assistance by G Syier Hawkins Brown and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1992 Grammy Awards. It spent a week at number #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, as well as reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the duo's first single to enter the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #8. The song is written in G minor.

Content and reception

The song's instrumention samples "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang.
Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 9 in its 2013 "Best Summer Songs of All Time", saying: "Over a funky laidback beat, a young Will Smith does a fantastic Rakim impression over a sample of Kool & the Gang's "Summer Madness" and drops a sweet ode to hanging out and driving around his native Philly: "Honking at the honey in front of you with the light eyes/She turn around to see what you beeping at/It's like the summer's a natural aphrodisiac." It's still hip-hop's finest summer celebration."

Track listing

; CD Single
  1. "Summertime" – 3:57
  2. "Summertime" – 5:37
  3. "Summertime" – 6:06
  4. "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" – 3:58
; 12" Vinyl
  1. "Summertime" – 5:37
  2. "Summertime" – 4:30
  3. "Summertime" – 4:30
  4. "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" – 3:58
; American CD Single
  1. "Summertime" – 3:57
  2. "Summertime" – 4:30
  3. "Summertime" – 5:37
  4. "Summertime" – 5:43
  5. "Summertime" – 5:36
  6. "Summertime" – 6:06
  7. "Summertime" – 5:50
  8. "Summertime" – 4:30
; Summertime '98 CD Single / 12" Vinyl
  1. "Summertime '98" – 4:12
  2. "Summertime '98" – 4:40
  3. "Summertime '98" – 4:16
  4. "Summertime" – 4:31
; Summertime
  1. "Summertime" –
  2. "Summertime"
  3. "Summertime"
  4. "Summertime"

    Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles 50

Year-end charts

Certifications