Hip-Hop Was Always in My House

It’s a Sunday afternoon, about 5pm, and the sun is already beginning to set behind the cold night sky. Producer Jesse Rackson, AKA Jesus AKA the Bronx’s finest, facetimes me. He sports a Snow Beach hat, a red River Rapids Polo, and his trademark Gold Chain and Medallion. 

“This is like a $3000 Rugby. It’s crazy you can’t find it anywhere anymore. But I got it in great condition.” He tells me. And it’s true - the Rugby looks brand new without even a crack in the lettering. - Jesse

31 and hailing from the Bronx, Jesus grew up in the epicenter of our cultural melting pot. Like other kids, he loved cartoons like Cow & Chicken and Dragonball Z. He didn’t like the shows, but he could tell you every secret in Pokemon Ruby and smoke you in a duel with his Zombie deck on the Duel Disk. He loved video games like Resident Evil, Max Payne, and GTA.

“GTA had classic old school shit. They put me on to

Summer Madness by Kool and the Gang!”

Nowadays, Jesus works as a teacher in the special education field after some time in General Education. To him, working with the youth and teaching is very important and he enjoys it. It was his primary focus even before the music as he only started in 2020. 

“Hip-Hop was always in my house. Big Ups my Mom. My mother had an ill CD collection. My mother had records. She brought home Jay-Z’s ‘The Dynasty’ and would play ‘This can’t be the life.”

His mother, born in 1963, essentially witnessed the birth of Hip-Hop on the streets of New York. 

“She was the original b-boy. My mother was outside when people would bring out turntables and they were like ‘This is this new thing called hip-hop.’ They would loop the record and scratch, and no one knew at the time that it was beat making but my mother was there for that. She used to bring the cardboard out with the Kangol and battle people on the train. She had Pro-Keds with the fat laces and the Adidas Sweatsuits. She IS Hip-Hop.”

“...If I ever get a grammy and I'm in front of

thousands of people, yo like thank you mom

all those days you played those records

out loud in the morning. Thank you.”

Records can be seen lined up hung on the wall, varying between Erykah Baduh, Jay-Z and other Hip-Hop records. The rest of his expansive collection sits quietly in the corner taking up 4 cubicle shelves. Figures of Quasimoto, Jay Dilla, and MF Doom stand perched in front of them, almost protecting the vinyls and watching over Mr.Jesse Rackson. Jesus is known for his expansive collection and love for Ralph Lauren. Often seen garbed in a combination of their vintage pieces, legendary supreme, and other accessories; Jesus is fly. No debate. 

His style roots tracing back to the baggy style of Uptown/The Bronx correlating to when Dipset was hot. This changed when he went downtown for the first time to go to Martin Luther King High School, starting listening to Pharrell and the Clipse and hanging out in Soho. 

“When I picked that school, I had never been downtown. When I got there I started to see the fusion of fashion and culture. I would see streetwear kids, but not my type of streetwear. I would see Bape, Stussy, Supreme. The downtown kids. I was still wearing Air Max 95’s and Pelle Pelle’s! I went to Soho and have been poisoned ever since.” 

I ask Jesus if he still visits his childhood deli.

“Of course. I know sandwich dudes who were so legendary when I see them in another spot, they still know my sandwich order. Fun fact, I went to a deli so long they had a sandwich named after me. I could go in and ask for the J-Money and they know what is. A Spicy chicken cutlet, in a whole wheat wrap, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, mayo, chipotle mayo, salt, pepper vinegar and colby jack cheese.”

Mid conversation, Jesus receives a notification that someone bought his latest EP, “Landscapes” on Bandcamp. 

“I made this a year ago. I have 6 albums in the tuck

and something physical waiting to be released.

After Synchronicity, I had something fuck up my rollout

which is why there was a gap between these works.

I was supposed to have a full rap album after the last one.

I was like let me give these people something,

which is why this one is just an EP.”

“Landscapes” features standout tracks such as; “Koinbox” a smooth, almost outer spacey track with a Videogame music like sample, “14KNX” with it’s big sound, immaculate chops, and perfectly layered drums on top of the sample’s own, and appropriately titled “Bundleup” an amazing almost perfect vocal loop filled with heart and soul.

“With this album, it’s just raw beat-making.

The beats almost sound unfinished.

Landscaping is the pre-treatment before building a house.

These beats are almost like the blueprint.

I’m like audibly landscaping.” 

Jesus mentions to me that he really wants to invest in vinyl production in the future. Makes sense as it would be full circle for him to have music on the very thing that put him on. 

“I keep spending money on clothes

and $1000 on a Polo piece like it’s nothing but that says a lot

when I can invest in my own art”

He also mentions he’s working to expand his educational certificates and transitioning into administration.

“Still working in education but as a Guidance Counselor, I think I can provide more for the Youth that way.” He says.

I ask him if he has any message for the kids or the world. 

“Whatever you do, just do it. The message I really want to get to people — the moment someone invests into your art, and you make any currency of your idea, You did it. You don’t need a Bentley or a Rolex, you don’t need a six figure deal. No one can take that away from you. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Oh, and we freed Thugga, now we gotta free Gaza!”

“Landscapes” and the rest of his discography can be found on his bandcamp @Jesse Rack$on.

Written by Angiolino C.

Photos by @Jovanchy