Two things have always been true: Carlton Banks can dance, and his cousin Will has his back! Alfonso Ribeiro performed with his pro partner Witney Carson to Will Smith's 1997 hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" during Dancing With the Stars on Monday, Sept. 22 — only after asking his former The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar and Smith's longtime collaborator Jazzy Jeff for permission first.
"First I had to clear it, so Jazzy Jeff had cleared the song and then Will's people had not gotten it to him. And it just wasn't clearing. So when I found out it wasn't cleared, I texted him and said, 'Hey man, I want to use your song' and he immediately wrote back, 'I'm on it!'" Ribeiro told Us Weekly, after receiving a 32 out of 40 score for his performance.
The song was cleared two hours later, Ribeiro explained, which put the show's music supervisors at ease. "Sometimes you gotta go big Willie style and get it done!" Ribeiro, 43, said.
"I think he's going to love it," Ribeiro told Us, adding in Smith's voice: "His feedback will be like, 'Yo those judges were crazy, man! That dance was awesome! They trippin boy!'"
Smith, of course, has previously witnessed Ribeiro's dancing skills when they kicked it with Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. Ribeiro even admitted he wouldn't mind breaking out "The Carlton" dance to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" in the future.
"We'll get [into] just a little bit," he said in a rehearsal video earlier this week. "I am ready to have fun and win this thing! A mirrorball is in my future — I see it."
As for giving his emotional take on "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton? Or perhaps "Apache (Jump On It)" by Sugar Hill Gang? Fans of the '90s sitcom will just have to wait to see.