Before the mansion in Bel-Air and the global blockbuster career, Will Smith and Jeff Townes were two teenagers hosting house parties and chasing a dream in West Philadelphia. That origin story is now headed to television.

Smith’s Westbrook Studios, in partnership with Canadian production company The Malar Group, is officially developing 215, a scripted drama series inspired by the rise of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Named after Philadelphia’s iconic area code, the series will dive deep into the city’s late-1980s and early-1990s hip-hop scene.

The show follows a quick-witted teenage rapper and his master DJ partner as they navigate neighborhood rivalries, hustle for a record deal, and manage the sudden pressures that fame puts on their friendships, families, and hometown loyalties.

Smith and Townes first met at a West Philadelphia house party in 1985, building a uniquely playful, crossover hip-hop sound that would change the game. Their landmark 1988 album, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, became the first double album in hip-hop history and won the very first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989.

Terence Carter, President of Television at Westbrook Studios, made clear that Philadelphia itself will be a central character in the series. “215 is especially meaningful to us because it draws from the rise of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and celebrates Philadelphia during such a defining era in the city’s late-’80s/early-’90s hip-hop scene,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter.

215 marks the second television expansion of Smith’s early career under Westbrook Studios, following the success of Peacock’s Bel-Air. The project is currently in early development and will soon be shopped to networks and streaming platforms.

West Philly started something, and television is finally going back to tell the whole story.