Meet Jimmy “Jimbo” Recinos of Jimbo Times, aka “J.T.” in East Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy “Jimbo” Recinos.

Jimmy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my blog, JIMBO TIMES: The L.A. Storyteller in 2014. From the start, JIMBO TIMES emphasized a perspective in Los Angeles that Nipsey Hussle’s movement recently brought back into the limelight: the upliftment of L.A.’s neighborhoods as essentially sacred places to be a part of. I wanted to capture Los Angeles as I saw it on the streets, where ethnic communities have owned businesses for generations, where the smell of conchas–or sweet bread–wrap each morning in venerable warmth, where bus drivers stop for every passenger with unwavering collegiality, and where young people and their families promise the future of Los Angeles through brilliant smiles and humility. Five years later, The Stories, or Los Cuentos, continue on JIMBO TIMES.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Maintaining JIMBO TIMES: The L.A. Storyteller has required constant energy and belief. First, I had to believe that my stories had something meaningful to say. Then, I had to remain committed to getting those stories out there for people to find. But before I could spend any time writing stories, I had to work jobs that had nothing to do with writing, strive past people who couldn’t value the stories I wanted to share like I did, and get the better of the doubt and discouragement that came from these experiences. Incrementally but steadily, opportunities arose. In 2015, I became a storyteller with The Plus Me Project, visiting public middle and high schools in Los Angeles to tell students about my unlikely path to college.

In 2016, I began work with the InsideOUT Writers program, visiting juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles to provide writing workshops for incarcerated youth. In 2017, I launched another media project known as POC Today, for People of Color Today, which would lead me to connect with still more go-getters for L.A. stories. And this year, I finally launched my first podcast, known as J.T. The L.A. Storyteller Podcast, where you can tune in to learn how to use your creative work to organize successful events for people and communities in Los Angeles. Finally, there’s “Los Cuentos,” a hat company named after J.T. The L.A. Storyteller, also launched just this past Spring, and which is my official “business” or trade out there.

Please tell us about Jimbo Times, aka “J.T.”.
If JIMBO TIMES: The L.A. Storyteller is the place where the city in my eyes meets the rest of the world, “Los Cuentos” is where the rest of world takes that vision of the city to make it their own. “Los Cuentos,” which is Español for “The Stories,” is as much a company as it is an art project. Except that the main characters in the artwork aren’t celebrities, but people you can stand shoulder to shoulder with at intersections all over Los Angeles, whose glances you catch as you map out the makeup of the boulevard around you, and who you almost instinctively recognize as human beings you can absolutely stand to learn more from if given the time. With “Los Cuentos,” there’s time. In fact, there are many times. Together, they’re JIMBO TIMES and they make Los Cuentos fierce.

For me personally, what sets Los Cuentos apart is authenticity; to sport a “Los Cuentos” hat is to sport a fresh and rich design, but it’s also to nod at legacies of love and work to build community in Los Angeles, at the neighborhoods in L.A. as described on the blog, and at making your own way in the big city despite all the twists and turns it throws at you. In this light, the hats bring newness to Los Angeles but at the same time show roots in the city’s urban culture. Some people might see the photos of this work as “humans of L.A.” with “Los Cuentos” hats on, and that’s close enough; each photo is a “Cuento” of different elements to the overall frame, which is really what Los Angeles is about, and sharing them on my blog is about sharing the hope inspired by the newness in L.A. for the future of L.A. “Los Cuentos” is still just getting started, but what I know is that the waves we’ve made so far–especially with L.A.’s students–electrify me with a rabid force and determination to do more.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Anyone who knows JIMBO TIMES: The L.A. Storyteller knows who inspired the first story, and who’s served as the source for each story, the ultimate miracle who lights my days and nights alike, and without whom there could be no ‘J.T.’ or even a single “Los Cuentos” hat. It’s an open book who we are together.

I also want to shout out The Plus Me Project, the InsideOUT Writers, the whole POC Today team– especially Edwin Monroy–This Side Of Hoover, the entire Back to School crew in East Hollywood (and supporters in Silver Lake, too), and always The Youngs, or the Students of Los Angeles; from the middle schools to the community colleges; you all know who you are.

JIMBO TIMES salutes you!

Pricing:

• Original “Los Cuentos” hat by Jimbo Times: $30.00
• Original “Los Cuentos” hoodie by Jimbo Times: $40.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jimbotimes.com
• Instagram: Instagram: instagram.com/jimbotimes
• Other: J.T. The L.A. Storyteller Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/j-t-the-l-a-storyteller/id1472956404

Image Credit:
J.T.

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.