John Henry,Viceland’s ‘Hustle’ host has a homecoming
BY ALEX MITCHELL
If one word describes selfmade
uptown entrepreneur
John Henry, it would be hustle.
This 26-year-old sold his
fi rst million-dollar business at
21 while also earning a spot on
the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and
he’s no stranger to the Bronx.
Henry spent some years living
on Davidson Avenue near
Fordham during the 1990s,
a time that the borough was
‘running wild’ in his own
words.
Now he’s made a return to
the Boogie Down Bronx for
two episodes of his Viceland
TV show, which is of course titled
‘Hustle.’
Executively produced by
Alicia Keys, the crux of ‘Hustle’
is to have Henry step in to
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 20 ARCH 29-APRIL 4, 2019 BTR
John Henry (r) with Amaurys Grullon in Bronx Native.
Photo courtesy of Bronx Native
Maria Oben’s chalk mural of John Henry. Photo courtesy of Bronx Native
guide and steer NYC entrepreneurs
in the right direction,
doing so while riding around
in his stylish Cadillac.
It was during the show’s
fi rst season that Henry saw
fi rsthand how both Bronx Native
clothing and the Port Morris
Distillery are holding up
in a rapidly changing south
Bronx.
More than analyzing the
two separate businesses,
Henry also refl ected on the
direction that the borough is
taking.
“Nobody knows what the
Bronx will look like in 10
years,” Henry said, mentioning
the importance that affordable
housing will play in
the borough’s development.
He pointed out the ‘tricky
challenges’ that the Bronx will
be facing when it comes to the
inevitable crossroads of maintaining
authentic culture versus
profi t.
“Coming back I could still
feel its culture. I would really
like to see the street culture
maintained. It is the birthplace
of hip hop after all,” Henry
said, suggesting that street art
in public spaces could be one
way to make that happen.
“But not in a fake way,”
the Dominican entrepreneur
added.
As far as the real deal goes,
Henry had nothing but love for
the crew at Bronx Native. As a
matter of fact, it was one of his
favorite episodes to shoot.
“Those guys are the real
deal, I like them a lot,” Henry
said.
In return, the Bronx
showed Henry some love as
well, especially in anticipation
of the episode’s watch party at
the distillery on the night of
Sunday, March 3.
Well-known Bronx chalk
muralist even worked up a mural
of Henry in the days before
the Bronx Native episode’s debut.
“That was the fi rst time
someone made a mural of my
face,” Henry laughed over.
He noted that a quarter of
the fi rst season of Hustle took
place in the Bronx, and how
exciting it would be to return
for a second season if the series
is renewed.
“The Bronx defi nitely
showed up with love and support,”
Henry said. “It’s a place
where people make a whole
lot out the situation they were
dealt,” the self-made entrepreneur
concluded.