Breakin' On The One

“So much of what Bash and I do through our work is what we call Revised Americana…we’ve had such a Euro-Centric idea of 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’ (On The One) was an opportunity to do that…”

Breakdancing or Breaking?

At the Olympics? 

Welcome to another special episode where I will be interviewing trailblazers from all backgrounds. Because let's face it, being Tuckered Out is universal. 

Also, welcome to EPISODE 150!!!!

JamsBash

Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart are known as the Brooklyn-based directing team JamsBash and have spent the last decade crafting award-winning TV shows, commercials, documentaries, music videos, and a film. They have 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.

Breakin’ On the One

We dive into their latest documentary, "Breakin' On the One", the story of how the Breaking battle at The Lincoln Center in 1981 helped create the world of Breaking as we know it today.

The documentary focuses on the origins and growth of Breaking, the young Black and Brown kids of the 70s who created this dance movement, and whether it should be considered sport, art (or both). Audiences will go on a journey and learn how Breaking found its voice, alongside the progression of hip hop and the role of the DJ, to become the cultural phenomenon it is today.

I’m sure most of you watched the first ever Breaking competition at the Olympics last week…and I’m sure many of you had your opinions. I would love to hear them below in comments (hint, get interactive with me).

It was also clearly a watershed moment for crews such as Dynamic Rockers and the Rock Steady crew who were just teenagers at the time they created Breaking. As I learned in the interview, for these middle school-aged kids, Breaking saved their lives. This wasn’t just about the art or the glory of winning a competition, this was a way to express their angst at a time where they didn’t feel like they had anywhere else to go, an expression that grew from a devastated NYC borough. So, it is understandable for these OGs to be hesitant about where the evolution of Breaking is going and to question whether the culture that they created will be respected.

NYC Is The Beating Heart

NYC is without a doubt a third character in this film, I would even say this documentary is as much about NYC as it is Breaking. It is a universal truth that stories which begin and end in NYC could never happen or be replicated anywhere else. As Bashan says in the interview, the early days of Breaking needed the NYC ecosystem in order to be cultivated and frankly, there was no other place on earth it could have been born.

For those of you that have ever lived in NYC, you know those first few years (and perhaps many years after) you are, in many ways, competing against the city to stay alive. For me (and for both Jamaal and Bashan), I definitely experienced the lowest of lows and the highest of highs living and working in NYC.

I would not have it any other way.

Americana Storytelling

When I asked about their relationship with storytelling, specifically about the “Revised Americana” narrative, JamsBash told me that it comes from their desire to tell the WHOLE American story, not just the Euro-centric idea of what American storytelling is. This includes making people laugh (again)- humor being at the core of their messaging-even during these "sensitive times" when it seems like everyone and anyone gets offended. At the end of it, they told me, as long as you’re producing content with the intention to spread positive joy, that’s what matters.

We dive into how communication through a cypher of movement is a beautifully unique black and brown celebration and the importance of preserving African American cultural heritage through dance. I know the South Asian community will bust out dancing any chance they can, any platform given. Whether asked or not.

Not me of course, I would NEVER do that.

I did ask them what their B-boy names would be if we could all actually breakdance. Mine is Trick Tucker. And we're all getting matching outfits.

*Audience Warning*-Bashan was attacked by a beetle during the interview.  He survived.

As always, I leave you with my song for this Museletter. This is in honor of the days where I THOUGHT I was a Breaker…I wasn’t.