“Summertime” is the first single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s fourth studio album, Homebase. The song was produced by Chicago-based producers Hula & K. Fingers and won a Grammy Award for best rap single in 1991. It spent a week at number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, as well as reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Summertime” is so similar to Rakim’s lyrical style that many believed he ghostwrote it. However, Rakim confirmed he did not write “Summertime”, although he was offered the beat. People working with him on his album thought it was too soft, and so Rakim never did anything with it. Will Smith wrote the lyrics himself and turned it into a hip hop classic.