Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It – Will Smith | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 3 weeks) and R&B (#6);1998
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
As “The Fresh Prince” of “D.J. Jazzy Jeff &,” Will Smith tasted success with listener-friendly rap singles such as Parents Just Don’t Understand, A Nightmare On My Street, and Summertime.
After snagging the first Rap Grammy for Parents, Will quickly moved on to television (The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air) and film (Where The Day Takes You and Six Degrees Of Separation) fame.
Smith put his recording career on hold for several years, returning in 1997 with the massive hit film and theme song, Men In Black. November, 1997 found Smith releasing his first solo album, Big Willie Style.
Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, the initial single from the album, followed in MIB‘s path, climbing to #1 Pop. Jiggy was an across the-board smash, even giving a respectable showing on Latin Pop, Tropical, and Salsa radio.
In true rap/ hip-hop fashion, Jiggy includes samples from Sister Sledge’s He’s The Greatest Dancer and the Bar-Kay’s Dance And Sang.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Poke & Tone
- L.E.S. (co-producer)
Lyrics Written by:
- Will Smith
- Samuel Barnes
- Bernard Edwards
- Joe Robinson
- Nile Rodgers
Awards:
- “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” won the Grammy Award in 1999 for the Best Rap Solo Performance
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).