As the 50th anniversary of hip-hop approaches, the Terrero family is revisiting the origins of the cultural movement Clive “DJ Kool Herc” Campbell pioneered in the Bronx, New York. If we run down the indelible story’s points, the Jamaica-born turntablist and his 1520 Sedgwick Avenue-based “Back To School Jam” set the tone for all we experience commercially concerning MCing, B-boying, graffiti, and DJing.
Still, in reality, hip-hop’s foundation is anything but commercial. In a period when the Bronx was burning, what hip-hop provided was a refuge, expression, and Black liberation. And while there is an ongoing social media debate on whether or not Latinxs — who can also be Black — were part of hip-hop’s creation, in the borough where their ethnical identity remains the residential majority, vet director-producer Jessy Terrero presents receipts with the documentary Hip-Hop X Siempre.
“This project was very personal because I grew up in the South Bronx,” he explains to The Knockturnal. Featured OGs Fat Joe, N.O.R.E., and Residente share their knowledge while rising rappers like Eladio Carrión and Villano Antillano further illuminate that hip-hop culture does not partake in English exclusively. From their invite-only event at New York’s Public Hotel with panelists Jessy Terrero, DJ Enuff, Ulysses Terrero, Angie Romero, and James Cruz to the documentary’s correlating soundtrack, Amazon Music precisely conveys Black and Brown history.
The Knockturnal connected with the Hip-Hop X Siempre executive producer to learn about his youth via hip-hop, his perspective on representation for and of American Latinxs, and the ways he has been “swimming upstream” throughout his career. Enlighten yourself with Terrero’s vision by reading the exclusive chat below.
Photo by Johnny Nunez for Amazon Music
The Knockturnal: How did your work as the executive producer of Hip-Hop X Siempre differ from past projects?
Jessy Terrero: I think it differs because, in one way, the subject matter is different. We try to take a [distinguishable] approach in everything we do creatively. We don’t want to do repeats. This project was very personal because I grew up in the South Bronx. I was raised in a household where my Dominican parents played bachata, merengue, and salsa. When I walked out to the streets, all I was engulfed with was hip-hop.
I fell in love with the different elements of hip-hop and was break dancing very young. It was something that felt good. I was part of the first generation in my family influenced by rap music. Hip-hop has been such a major part of my career. It is a part of the catalyst that opened a lot of doors for me. This project was very close to my heart.
The Knockturnal: During the New York screening’s panel, you said the documentary could not acknowledge every Latino hip-hop contribution in 28 minutes. Who do you consider among the unsung heroes of the culture?
Jessy Terrero: You know there are so many! If I were able to control and do it myself, there would be four 28-minute episodes. One would dive into each specific pillar of hip-hop culture. The DJing, the MCing, the graffiti, and the break dancing! Right? That would give us a little bit more time, and probably still not give everybody their rightful flowers.
Scheduling did not allow this. It would have been great to have someone like DJ Charlie Chase. I would love to have someone like Ivy Queen. It would have been great to have Vico C, The Beatnuts, Kurious Jorge, and PoweRule. There are so many artists that I feel we just got to touch on a little bit. Even with Cypress Hill [there were constraints], scheduling did not allow us to get Sen Dog. There are so many DJs and influential people that we were able to get a peek at.
The Knockturnal: Your brother Ulysses directed the documentary. What does your consistent collaboration mean to you?
Jessy Terrero: It means everything. For me, especially as a Latino, family means everything. I am able to work with my family. I love to work with my brother, Ulysses. My sister produced the piece. It was a family affair. I grew up listening to hip-hop and being a part of the culture.
My brother and I were always very much a part of the culture. We have felt a part of hip-hop culture since we were young. For us to come together on this project was the perfect marriage because this is something that we lived together our whole lives.
The Knockturnal: Before you were revered as a director, your family lived in the Bronx and Queens. What were some of the most impactful experiences you had with hip-hop early on?
Jessy Terrero: Early on, it was beautiful seeing how it brought the community together in the Bronx and hearing the music in the parks. It was things like that. There was a special love for it in our community. It was so fresh! In the Bronx, it was truly driven by passion because no one at that time was making money off of hip-hop.
I think once we moved to Queens, we got deeper involved in break dancing. A lot of people used to break on cardboard. I remember my father — He used to fix up houses. One day, he brought home the linoleum they used to lay on the ground. So, it was a special thing for us to have linoleum. My brother and I used to carry it around. We would roll it out when we used to break dance.
I remember a group of kids from another neighborhood saying that they were going to battle us for the linoleum [laughs]. We were like, “If we lose this linoleum, our father is going to kill us when we get back home!” The concept of battling for something you love was extremely interesting [laughs]. We knew we better dance our asses off. Papi was gonna kill us if we came home without it.
DJ Tony Touch
The Knockturnal: Your parents came to New York City from the Dominican Republic. What level of pride do you take in being able to elevate your family name?
Jessy Terrero: I think that means everything. I remember moving out to Los Angeles and seeing a bunch of Latinos that had changed their last names. They thought they would have a better career as an actor. It worked for some of them — for some, it didn’t. For me, my last name is my family, and that pride is everything.
I look at it like running a relay race. My father was the one that started the race for our family, and then he handed the baton to us. So, everything I do is now about legacy. It is about handing that baton to my kids and ensuring that all that struggle and hard work my parents laid down for us is taken to the next level. It is about everyone taking it up a notch.
It was always about making people pronounce the Terrero name properly. I make them spell my name properly. You know, they used to butcher it in music videos. [They called me] “Jessy Terio” or this and that. They used to kill it! Now, when I hear it, they say my name right.
I can be somewhere in the Dominican Republic, or even when someone looks at my passport, they will say, “You’re Jessy Terrero! The guy that does the videos.” It makes me proud when my mother goes to the bank. She has been questioned, “You are not Jessy Terrero’s mother, are you?” It is beautiful.
The Knockturnal: Your musical credits primarily touch rap, reggaetón, and R&B. Given your background, do you think it is important for corporations to acknowledge American Latinxs can exist in multiple spaces instead of Latin niches exclusively?
Jessy Terrero: Yeah, I have always said it. For me, I studied film like anyone else. We should be able to do things and explore as we see fit. It is sad sometimes. When I first got to Hollywood, everything was put in a box. And they would only let you see the things that have Brown faces in them. They do not let you see the work that doesn’t.
But that does not happen on the other side. On the other side, those directors get to see everything. They get to direct us. However, we do not get to go the other way. It is on very rare occasions that you see it happen these days.
Some people are breaking out of the barriers. The studios are feeling a certain way. Now, to save face, they began to make those decisions. For years it was tough. We are so much more than that.
When I built my own company, my mission statement in everything I do was driven by having Latino faces in front of the camera. There are Latinos behind the camera, in the writing rooms, and everywhere. Now, I am pushing that agenda. I am proud because we have to do for ourselves if we want to create authentic content.
But yes, we belong everywhere. I always make a statement: “My camera is not Latino.” I use the same cameras that everyone uses. It saddens me sometimes when they limit opportunities based on our last name.
The Knockturnal: How do you balance being a girl dad with your career?
Jessy Terrero: I think that was one of the hardest things with my first daughter. Yes, that was one of the hardest things I had to deal with because you constantly chase [your dream]. Your career has you working — you have this mentality where you know all your hard work is for them.
Technically, a child just wants your time and attention. Now, with the birth of my second daughter, I am trying to find a better balance in everything. This is why I now split my time. My eldest daughter lives in the Dominican Republic. Now, I am splitting my time between the Dominican Republic and Miami. I have shifted my entire life to be more present in hers. I think Zoom has allowed me to do that.
Having daughters allows me to focus on the work that I am doing differently. I make sure I am creating projects that they can be proud of, and I show women in a positive light. I can build concepts, shows, and TV ideas that also push that agenda. My daughters can look at the work. It is a rare finding when we see ourselves in a certain way. I am trying to build projects like that, and I am more focused on my legacy than just a quick check.
Jessy Terrero
The Knockturnal: Cinema Giants is a full-service production company. What went into bringing your dream to life?
Jessy Terrero: Sometimes, you create things out of necessity. You try to bounce around the Hollywood system and listen to people who want the best for your career. And half of the time, they will just lead you into a brick wall. So, if Hollywood is not going to open the doors for the kinds of projects I want to do, [then I fund them].
It is not the easiest thing to go to Hollywood and say, “Hey, I want to sell a project with a bunch of Domincans in it.” They’ll be like, “Woah! Maybe if you change all the characters and make them Mexican. Make them some other culture. Mix the culture.”
And look, I work all across the board. I have projects in the Mexican world. I have others set in Argentina. I have projects set in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and all over the place. I have been fortunate to work everywhere. So, I see Latinos from a global perspective.
I am not going to find many projects I want to create in that system. Cinema Giants was created so that I could look at the market. I understand what’s missing. There is a huge gap in the content space. I wanted to make projects authentically.
So, they work in different areas and genres and also empower the directors in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, or Venezuela, that do not have opportunities. We create a bridge and bring those people to Hollywood. That is what Cinema Giants is about.
The Knockturnal: How do you wish to be remembered?
Jessy Terrero: I want to be remembered for the hard work that I put in. I have been swimming upstream my whole career. I have been trying to plant the Latin flag in an industry that was not open to us. It is still not open to us now. Right?
I want the work to speak for itself. I want to be remembered for what I did for the culture. I hope to be remembered for the impact I had on other people’s lives, whether it is consuming the content or the opportunities that I gave to young filmmakers, writers, directors, makeup artists, etc. There are a lot of people I have empowered over the years. To me, it is very important to consider the impact you leave on the individual.
‘Hip-Hop X Siempre’ NYC panel
