Will’s best friend from Philadelphia is Jazz. The character is played by DJ Jazzy Jeff, the stage name of Philadelphia DJ and producer Jeffrey Allen Townes.
Jazz appears as Will’s longtime friend and brings the pair’s real-world musical partnership into the sitcom. In real life, Townes and Will Smith were members of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The television character is therefore a fictionalized version of Smith’s actual friend and collaborator, although the show gives Jazz his own comic personality and storylines.
Jazz is best known for his recurring visits to the Banks home, his crush on Hilary, and the running gag in which Uncle Phil repeatedly throws him out of the house. Will and Jazz also share a signature handshake. Viewers sometimes answer “DJ Jazzy Jeff,” but that is the actor-performer’s stage name; the character’s name in the show is Jazz.