Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff's Philly Hip-Hop Story Is Becoming a TV Series Called "215"

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff are getting the scripted TV treatment. Westbrook Studios announced“215,”a series loosely based on the duo’s rise in Philadelphia hip-hop, named after the city’s area code. It’s the first project from a new partnership between Westbrook Studios and The Malar Group, founded by Sayan Navaratnam.

The story behind the story is just as big. From 1984 to 1994, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince sold 5 million records. In 1989, they won hip-hop’s first Grammy for Best Rap Performance with“Parents Just Don’t Understand,”then boycotted the ceremony because the award wasn’t televised. As they put it at the time, out of 16 categories, rap belonged in the top 16.

The series will follow Smith and Jeffrey Townes as they chase a record deal, chase money, and help build Philly’s hip-hop scene from scratch. No release date yet, but it’s officially in the works. Which era of hip-hop history would you most want to see turned into a series?