The Almost Perfect Podcast

On the evening of Monday 25 January 2021, Nas Hoosen passed away due to complications with COVID-19. Nas was an incredible storyteller who mostly told stories through screenwriting and comics. He was a pop-culture polymath who absorbed trivia and could recount even the most seemingly inane details and moments with incredible insight. He was the biggest champion of his friends and was someone who would always offer words of encouragement and wisdom. The world is a darker place without him in it, but he did leave many candles burning to guide us forward. 

This episode was originally released on 21 Feb 2019 and features an updated introduction. 

Laugh along to Nas's critiques of movies here: https://letterboxd.com/naswho/

Have a think and a laugh at his comics here: https://www.instagram.com/naswho/

And if you'd like to know about more Nas's work, we discussed the nuances of screenwriting in this episode of Almost Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mc_rdVHXd8&t=555s&ab_channel=AlmostPerfect

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Sia and Big Sexy are pornstars. They're a couple in their mid-30s who have both tried their hands at a variety of careers before finding success with sex work. While they were already in the industry before COVID hit, it was alongside other side-gigs until the lockdown pushed them to commit to it full time. It turns out making porn together is a great way to earn money from home, although it obviously comes with its challenges.

In this episode, we get into the ins and outs of making porn in South Africa. From the strange hours due to catering to different timezones, to your neighbours recognising you from your work. We get into the business side of things and learn how it's similar to many other types of online content production. And we also hear how their family and friends reacted to the news of their career change. Enjoy.

Follow Sia and Big Sexy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SiaBigSexy

And OnlyFans: https://onlyfans.com/siabigsexy

And check out their website: siabigsexy.com

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-85-sia-big-sexy/

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Dylan Buckle aka Noobslice is the events manager for South African esports company ATK. He started out his career in esports as one of the early adopters of streaming in South Africa. Dylan steadily built his name and community on Twitch whilst also gaining experience in the corporate side of tabletop gaming. Both lead him to his current position, something he could have never seen coming when he started out.

In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of esports and streaming in South Africa. Obviously, South Africa has its own unique challenges compared to the more developed countries, but more and more we're seeing local teams hold their own on the international stage. We also get into the difficulties of organising events during the pandemic, and we get some very useful advice for those of you looking to start streaming. Enjoy.

Keep up with Dylan on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/noobslice

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noobslice/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoobsliceZA

If you have 2 minutes spare and would like to help make The Almost Perfect Podcast better, please could you fill out this 10 question survey? Thank you. https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=2531d05c0dd107158fa4a540a&id=8818aa09e9

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ANG (Angela Weickl) is a DJ and the Culture and Network Manager at Levi's Haus of Strauss Africa- a job she was uniquely qualified for after 15 years of contributing to the music industry. ANG got her start in the music industry as a sound engineer at open mic gigs but soon found herself becoming a prominent part of the Cape Town scene as a club manager and DJ.

In this episode, we get nostalgic over the pre-social media era where being handed a flyer was how you found out where you were jolling that weekend. ANG talks us through the early days of her career, from mixing bands she grew up listening to, to becoming the manager at Armchair in her early 20s, and how that all lead to a successful DJ career that she could have only dreamed of growing up. It's a wonderful look at one of the golden periods of Cape Town's music scene through ANG's eyes. Enjoy.

If you have 2 minutes spare and would like to help make The Almost Perfect Podcast better, please could you fill out this 10 question survey? Thank you.

https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=2531d05c0dd107158fa4a540a&id=8818aa09e9

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A somewhat positive look back at the top 10 things that got me through 2020. 

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Parabyl (Ciarán Slemon) is an electronic music producer and tech-loving autodidact who has spent countless hours behind the PC either creating art or absorbing as much information as possible. It's probably why he's wise beyond his years and has quite a few nuggets of wisdom (and facts) to share with us.

In this episode, we get into being the weird kid in school who was teased for enjoying learning, but now that constant desire to learn more has helped him develop into a well-rounded artist and human-being. We chat about having realistic expectations about a career in music whilst still continually trying to create work that he finds fulfilling. We discuss the value of having peers who are honest with you, and we also get into the nuances of being introverted during the lockdown. Enjoy.

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-82-parabyl/

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Moonchild Sanelly is an icon.  There's just no other way to put it. How many other South African artists do you know who have worked with Beyonce, Gorillaz, and Diplo? On top of that, she has her own clothing label and is planning to release a range of sex toys. She's a true original who does things her own way which is reaping the rewards now but saw her spending much of her career as an outsider in the industry. 

In this episode, we learn how her mom instilled a fierce rebellious nature in her and taught her to never follow. We get into Moonchild's formative years in Durban where she would hustle to get behind every mic she could get her hands on whilst studying fashion, working a job in retail, and eventually earning a slot on radio. We obviously touch on working with Beyonce and what it means for Moonchild, and, naturally, we talk a lot about sex. Enjoy. 

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-81-moonchild-sanelly/

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FonZo is a rapper and producer from Cape Town who put out one of the dopest rap releases in SA this year with his album, 'Days of the Future Past'.  He's been taking rap seriously since he was 15 and has spent his life continually adding skills to his repertoire- from lyrics, to flow, to production he's put in the work and it shows. He's at the top of his game and he knows it, but he credits criticism (both external and internal) for making his craft the best it can be. 

In this episode, we talk A LOT about rap, rapping, and rappers. Naturally. We delve into FonZo's early influences, touch on his heated foray into battle rapping, and discuss how he's managed to stay consistent through the trends. We dig into the nuances and politics of the Cape Town hip-hop scene and have a look at what's holding the city back. Enjoy.

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-80-fonzo/

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Phumlani Pikoli is a writer and multimedia artist who has recently been on the receiving end of some "buzz" with the publishing of his debut novel 'Born Freeloaders'. Phumlani has been creating art since he and his brother started a rap group in their teens and has since used almost every medium available to express himself and interrogate the world around him.

In this episode, we reminisce over our early days as music journalists and the unbridled freedom that came with being a creative South African in the 2000s. Naturally, both of us being artists and critics, we get into the art of criticism and its value to artists. We also dig into writing what you know, the importance of offering new perspectives on being young and black in South Africa, and we discuss reframing traditional narratives around recreational drug and alcohol use. Oh, and we also lament the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Enjoy.

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Hannah Shone is an illustrator and graphic designer with an incredible sense of humour. Like, if there's one thing I can promise you about this episode, it's that you're going to laugh. When she's not cracking self-deprecating jokes, she's creating quirky and fun artworks with subtle dark undercurrents. Hannah's accomplished a ton already with multiple solo and group exhibitions, collabs with hip/popular brands, designing both Diamond Thug and Mx Blouse's debut albums, and has even had her work tattooed on people at a music festival. 

While Hannah was paying the bills with a steady office job, she chose 2020 of all years to break free from the confines of agency life for the freedom (and chaos) of freelance. We get into why the ad world isn't necessarily for her, and why the art world didn't seem like it was when she was in school. We also chat about the pressures of designing album covers for popular artists and dig into the relationship between art and music. Enjoy. 

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-78-hannah-shone/

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