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.

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.

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