Dayne Jordan Takes a Cue from Mister Rogers in DJ Jazzy Jeff Produced Track (Video)

With news of an impending reincarnation of the ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” many are celebrating by remembering the classic moments from the Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff-inspired television show that branched out of the duo’s success as a Hip-Hop act. The latter’s contributions to comedy are matched only by his contributions to music, and the veteran producer and DJ has been leaving his Philly flavor all over the map for decades. This is the case with Dayne Jordan, a protege of the seasoned vet whose recent album, Memoirs of Dayne Jordan, is being heralded not only for its Jazzy Jeff production, but also for its insightful, deeply introspective storytelling approach to lyricism from the young MC, also a Philadelphia native.

In “Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood,” director Cristopher Schafer gives us a peek into North Philadelphia, Jordan’s stomping grounds and the surroundings in which he developed the perspectives shared in his lyrics. Taking stylistic cues from the classic PBS children’s show, “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,” Jordan’s new video plays like a Day in the Life-esque mini-movie that follows Jordan throughout his day as he takes us back to his childhood. Since the album is meant to play like a chronological blueprint to his life, it’s only fitting that his latest video covers his earliest formative memories as a child, and in a particularly innovative technique, characters from his past appear in the video and speak in Jordan’s voice, lending an element of anachronism that helps to highlight the autobiographical tone of the visuals. The video ends with Jordan driving away in a rented U-Haul truck, perhaps suggesting the following visual chapter will speak to his new neighborhood. Press play.