Active full time from to and occasionally thereafter, the duo became just the third rap group in recording history to receive platinum certification , after Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. The group received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in for " Parents Just Don't Understand " , though their most successful single was " Summertime " , which earned the group their second Grammy and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot Will Smith and Jeff Townes have remained close friends and claim they never split up, having made songs together under Smith's solo performer credit.
Their latest performance dates back to November Jeff Townes was introduced to Will Smith at a house party during a performance in , and Smith ended up filling in for Townes' missing hype man.
They both felt a strong chemistry, and Townes was disappointed when his hype man finally made it to the party.
Soon after, the two decided to join forces. Smith enlisted a friend, Ready Rock C , to join as the beatboxer of the group. He was not officially credited to the duo, only as a support live member. Smith became known for light-hearted story-telling and profanity-free "battle" rhymes. The single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school.
Based on this success, the duo was brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons. The album sold approximately , units. Mostly recorded in the United Kingdom , the album was a double- vinyl LP release; it was also issued as a single cassette and CD. Nevertheless, the single was a success, launching the group into even more mainstream stardom.
