Will Smith Set To Host Hip-Hop Podcast ‘Class Of ’88’ For Audible

OK, here’s the situation: Will Smith is set to host a new Audible podcast about a landmark year in hip-hop.

The erstwhile Fresh Prince will be the main voice for Class of ’88, an eight-episode series that will feature Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Queen Latifah, Run-D.M.C.’s Darryl McDaniels, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim and Smith’s rap partner DJ Jazzy Jeff.

More from Deadline

Timed to coincide with last month’s 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the eight-episode series produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook and Awfully Nice will launch October 26 on Audible and Amazon Music.

“Hip-hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades,” Smith told Deadline’s sister publication Billboard. “I’m hyped to share my firsthand experiences and those of some of hip-hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential genres of music in history.”

RELATED: Will Smith Calls SAG-AFTRA Strike “Pivotal Moment” For Actors

The hip-hop Class of 1988 included not only the debut of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince — whose first single “Parents Just Don’t Understand” knocked on the pop Top 10 and won the genre’s inaugural Grammy — but also the emergence of N.W.A, EPMD, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane and others. Among the acts who made key records that year are Public Enemy (It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back), Eric B. & Rakim (Follow the Leader), Run-D.M.C. (Tougher Than Leather) and many more.

RELATED: Deadline’s Doc Talk Podcast: Unpacking Troubled Documentary Market, And What Does Academy Branch Have Against Popular Filmmakers?

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.