The pair’s music was quirky, cheery and squeaky clean, a far cry from the new Gangsta Rap that was beginning to rear its bloodied head, and mainstream success was near-immediate. Their first single, “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” (sampling the theme to “I Dream Of Jeannie”) was a hit in 1986, boosting the sales of their debut album Rock The House and making Will a millionaire at the age of 18. He wouldn’t stay rich for long, though. Forgetting to pay his tax he was cleaned out by the IRS and forced to build his fortune again. Fortunately, more hits followed, including the album He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper, the first hip-hop LP to go double-platinum. In 1989, they won the first ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance for the track “Parents Just Don’t Understand”, and received the three millionth call to their own 900 number (the US equivalent of 0898), the first ever set up by pop stars.
