[4] Townes brought up the idea of him and Smith making the theme after composer and producer Quincy Jones pitched an early version of the music.

By:Yeyo Lyrically, the song is storytelling narrative,[8] describing how its protagonist was "born and raised" in West Philadelphia, but after a violent encounter he was sent to live with family in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

As one account maintains, the protagonist "raps about his mother sending him to live with his aunt and uncle because she was afraid that he would fall victim to [his] tough West Philadelphia neighborhood".

[9] The song further "explains how a boy from the ghetto would end up living in Bel-Air", and thereby "ushers in a fantasy" of an implausible scenario in which a poor person escapes to wealth.

[12] An article on the MTV.co.uk website stated about the song, "Say what you want, but considering the sitcom wrapped up over 20 years ago and people are still able to start spitting out those lyrics on cue, its lasting appeal is undeniably impressive.