Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar
Jams and Bash Are Breakin' On The One
Listen on
Episode notes
Jamaal Parham is Director of Content & Broadcast Production at AKA NYC, a leading international advertising agency. Thanks to his background in editing and filmmaking, he created multiple award-winning commercials and Tony award-winning show campaigns. Originally from LA, he studied Film at NYU Tisch and is a passionate storyteller, record collector, and Lakers fan.
Bashan Aquart is the Executive Creative Director at AKA NYC, where he has led creative visions for major entertainment brands like The Band's Visit and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Matilda, and Les Misérables, among many others. Throughout his over 15 years of experience, he worked with fashion, packaging, TV, and environmental design. His expertise has been recognized in Ad Age, Print, STEP, and Art Directors Annual.
They 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, and Samuel L. Jackson. They recently shot a short thriller entitled "Familia" and premiered their feature film "The Day Ones" for SoundCloud. Up next is the feature film "Something Kinda Wonderful," based on a script co-written by Pilar Valdes and Jamaal.
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.
In this episode, we discuss breakdance's origins and growth, its cultural relevance, and whether it should be considered sport, art, or both. Jamaal and Bashan also talked about their experiences with the pressure to succeed, their relationship with art, and how they managed their parents' expectations with their contrasting desire to pursue creative and artistic endeavors. 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, and more.
- 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)
Connect with Jamall Parham:
Connect with Bashan Aquart:
Let's Connect:
This podcast is produced by