Will Smith to host ‘Class of ’88’ podcast series

Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, and more join the limited series to discuss one of the biggest years in hip-hop.

TheGrio Staff

Oct 26, 2023

Will Smith is heading into the podcast arena. The Oscar-winner will host “Class of ’88,” the upcoming podcast series from Wondery and Audible that dives deep into one of the most prolific years in hip-hop.

Apple Original Films' "Emancipation" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals — Will Smith attends Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre on Nov. 30, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Described as an “original podcast collaboration,” “Class of ’88” takes listeners on a journey back to the late 1980s, when hip-hop took the world by storm and became the global cultural phenomenon it is today.

“Listeners become immersed in this landmark year for music through in-depth, hilarious, and emotional interviews with the artists that helped define the genre,” the official synopsis describes.

In addition to host Smith, who offers his “unique perspective and personal experience, the podcast interviewees include big names like Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, Rakim, Fab 5 Freddy, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Chuck D, J.J. Fad, and DJ Red Alert. Check out a teaser below, which features an interview between Smith and Chuck D.

In the clip, Smith, reflecting on 1988, called that time period “one of the greatest eras in hip-hop.” Agreeing, Chuck D credited Run-D.M.C. and the late Jam Master Jay for their foundational contributions to the genre. “Those three, and the structure around it … made me look at all those rock guys and say, ‘We got somethin’ for your a–es too!'”