Episode 150: Jams and Bash are Breakin’ On the One
“So much of what Bash and I do through our work is what we call this Revised Americana…we’ve had such a Euro-Centric what American storytelling is, but how can we change that narrative through the films that we make, through the commercials that we make, through all of the content that we put out there…I think Breakin’ was an opportunity to do that…”
Breakdancing? At the Olympics? Hell. Yes.
Welcome to another special episode where I will be interviewing trailblazers from all backgrounds. Because let's face it, being Tuckered Out is universal.
Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart are known as the Brooklyn-based directing team Jams and Bash and have spent the last decade crafting award-winning TV shows, commercials, documentaries, music videos, and a film. They worked with people like Michael B. Jordan, Robert DeNiro, Mindy Kaling, Samuel L. Jackson- just to name a few.
Their work is driven by their innate desire to tell stories of the authentic American experience, infused with magical realism and rooted in a love of boundary-pushing design and classical filmmaking technique.
We discuss breakdance's origins and growth, its cultural relevance, and whether it should be considered sport, art, or both (it’s a topic my friends), their relationship with art and storytelling, and all agreed that stories that begin and end in NYC are stories that could never happen anywhere else or be replicated anywhere else.
We dive into their latest documentary, "Breakin' On the One," they share their thoughts on the challenges of doing comedy in "sensitive times," the importance of preserving African American cultural heritage through dance, how communication through a cypher of movement it is such a beautifully uniquely black and brown thing, and what our Bboy names would be if we could all actual breakdance.
Mine is Trick Tucker.
Also, Bashan was attacked by a beetle during the interview. He survived.
Early Creative Influences: Jamaal and Bashan's diverse backgrounds + family expectations influencing their creative careers (7:20)
Finding their Place in the Creative Realm: The moment Jamaal and Bash discovered their calling for storytelling and filmmaking (12:00)
Inclusivity, Humor, and Career Building: Making people laugh without offending them + transition from theater to film and TV + the importance of building long-term relationships with clients (27:00)
"Breakin' On the One" and the NY Competitive Spirit: Creating a documentary on breakdance + New Yorkers against NY + breakdance as a life saver (38:20)
Breakdance is Art or a Sport, its Global Spread: Jamaal details the European tour of breakdancing crews + the artistic elements of breakdance + acceptance of breakdance in Eurocentric cultures (48:30)
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