When reflecting on Hip Hop during the 21st century, a proverbial tip of the fitted cap has to be given to J.D. Tucker. Better known as “Dr. Teeth,”Tucker helped provide visuals when artists such as Slim Thug, Paul Wall and Mike Jones were first introduced into the national consciousness.
Having literally and figuratively shifted his focus away from the small screen, Tucker and The Guess Firm are preparing for the fifth annual Historically Black College and University Film Festival and Seminars at Texas Southern University. The festival kicks off Saturday, February 28 in Texas Southern’s MLK Building Auditorium. During a brief phone call, HipHopDX looked to find what products of the HBCU system can expect when trying to enter into a recession damaged entertainment industry, and if the veteran director is “still tippin’.”
HipHopDX: This is the fifth annual HBCU Film Fest. How many years have you been involved in it?
J.D. Tucker: I’ve been involved with sponsoring this and paying for it out of my own pocket from day one. This is my pet project.
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DX: Since you’re specifically targeting HBCUs, do you think there are any extra steps a student at an HBCU needs to take as far as entering into the game?
J.D. Tucker: I do. I came out of the HBCU system; I went to Texas Southern. At the time I was there, our resources were very limited, but the talent level was high. We didn’t have all the bells and whistles, but we would maximize the little we had. That allowed me to use low resources and still have high quality output.
After I graduated I started working at BET. I co-created “Rap City: Tha Bassment,” “Spring Bling” and also created characters for “Hits from the Street.” A lot of my peers would look over and ask, “How did you get that job?” Many of them were doing other things besides what they went to school for. So I realized there was a great amount of students who went to school, but couldn’t break into their field—especially if it was entertainment. On the entertainment side, there’s not a lot of networking because it’s so competitive. I realized that if I had more students out of this system, with more networking and support, we could change a lot of things. That’s especially true, since we’re the ones making the films.
DX: You mentioned using limited resources and still having high quality output. Did that background better prepare you for the limited budgets this recession is causing?
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J.D. Tucker: Absolutely. During a money crunch you need to know how to make things happen with minimal funds. I think that’s a talent. Tyler Perry just put out [Madea Goes to Jail] last weekend and it grossed $40 million at the box office. You’re talking about a guy who had a concept of making plays—he was homeless and living out of his car. He’s now gone from making plays to making movies, and setting records at the box office. He still keeps that grassroots philosophy. That makes you a valuable asset when you can maximize your budgets and get right to the meat of it.
DX: A lot of people see you and automatically think director. How important is it to know about the other opportunities involved in film, from grips and screenwriters on down to craft services?
J.D. Tucker: That’s one of the things we’ll talk about at the festival. No resource is too small and no job is too big. You use whatever opportunities are available to you to get on. And once you get on, you use that opportunity to be the best. If you’re a production assistant or in craft services, you
try to be the best craft service person there. The thing we’re trying to teach the students is that good work is hard to find.
When you are that shining light, it’s like having a neon spotlight shined on you. People notice that, and they’ll start to hire you more. That’s how you create your in. We’re trying to teach them that all the aspects of the job are valuable, because it’s not that easy to get on a film set.
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DX: People hear your alias and usually automatically associate you with Hip Hop videos and the perception that comes along with that. Is that a good or a bad thing?
J.D. Tucker: It’s a great thing because I was able to leave a legacy with the Houston artists and their market. A lot of people think I’m from Houston, but I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio. So, that meant I was really able to tap in and strike a chord as a storyteller by presenting the soulful, side of Houston as it really is.
DX: While at Texas Southern you were a single parent. Even though it was a tough grind, how do you think that prepared you for working at CBS and later BET?
J.D. Tucker: I was a journeyman in college [laughs].
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DX: [laughs.] Oh, the infamous six year plan?
J.D. Tucker: Yeah. And when I was supposed to be a junior, but technically still classified as a freshman, I had a son come and live with me. Actually, when I was a sophomore, I found out I had a son. Then when I became a junior, I got custody of my son, and I had to raise him. I think I was 19, but instinctively I knew I had to do something. So I just started taking my classes more seriously. I had a kid I had to provide for.
Since I was not from Houston, it was just me and my son. I couldn’t take him over my mom’s or my sister’s house. I literally had to raise a two-year-old by myself while going to school and working. A lot of my friends made fun of me, ‘cause I would be right there in class with my son on my hip just like a lot of the girls who were single mothers too. But I was in there juggling those classes.
DX: Now in addition to you, there are some cast members from “The Wire” attending also, right?
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J.D. Tucker: Oh yeah. We’ll have Anwan Glover, who played Slim Charles—one of my favorites. Tray Chaney, who played Poot, Bodie’s right hand man who always got the STD’s is coming through too.
The cool thing is that both of the guys are hustlers. Anwan is doing a radio show and also pursuing acting. And he also plays in a legendary Go-Go band called the Backyard Band in Washington, DC. Tray just wrote a book, and he’s still acting too. These aren’t guys who just sit on one perch and wait for things to come. They’re out there pursuing other avenues outside of what people know them for. So they’re gonna come and talk to the students about their struggles and give them a blueprint to find their own success. Can I say something about Jesse Terrero real quick?
DX: Yeah, sure.
J.D. Tucker: Jesse Terrero is gonna come out. He’s a guy who’s very much a huge part of me reaching some of the successes I did. Before anybody knew who Dr. Teeth was, I could always call him up and get information about how to create a certain look with whatever budget I had. Jesse would always turn me on to great, valuable people that helped build my career.
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When I did my first short film for Warner Brothers last year, he put me up on some really top-notch, up and coming actors. I’m just really grateful for people like him who helped pave the way for me.
DX: A while back you said you weren’t looking to get into films. It looks like that’s changed a little bit…
J.D. Tucker: It’s changed a lot. I’ve gone as far as I can go in music videos. I’ve been nominated for MTV Awards, Director of the Year at the Hip Hop awards—even Jesse hasn’t got that one yet [laughs.]. The music has changed. I’m older, and I’m not connecting with some of the music as much.
Mike Epps and I are up for a film that we’re looking to do independently, and we’re looking for additional independent funding. We’re doing a movie together called Overdraft, and I’ve been really working diligently to make this project come to fruition. I’ve been doing less videos, so I can take meetings and pursue the film side.
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Overdraft is going to be hilarious. I’m producing it with my writing partner Marshall Dean and Mike Epps. It’s everything you would look for in a Mike Epps movie, and we’re hoping this will be his first starring role, so we can do Tyler Perry numbers at the box office. It’s not gonna be a coonin’ and shufflin’ movie, but it will be funny—I’m not gonna sell us out.
