12 hours with Lelowhatsgood

You know how we all have the same 24 hours and yet it sometimes feels like some people have more hours in their day? And how you can’t help but wish to be a fly on whichever wall to gain some insight on how they do it all in just a day? 

Well, between curating content for brands, managing their social media, featuring on some of the greatest publications’ by-lines, spearheading a Vogue Nights Jozi event, and serving content on his social media – one can’t help but wonder how many hours Zane Ntsikelelo Meslani has in his day. This multi-talented creative is popularly known as Lelowhatsgood, and he let us in on what a typical day looks like for him.

06:00 Alarm goes off and after struggling to get out of bed, I must get ready for the day. Never will I ever be caught not looking good or trying to, so… 

06:30 Shower. Smelling fresh is important, so some roll-on and cologne does the trick for me. Then I pick out an outfit for my day at the office. 

07:30 Leave the house to travel from Roodepoort to Sandton. I’ve been on an intermitted fast, so I’ve been avoiding breakfast for some time. But I would typically have cereal/oats and tea at home. I’d grab a toasted sandwich at the office. 

08:30 Gautrain business to Sandton. In terms of what I listen to as far as podcasts go, anything made under LUTCHA is fire. My favourite app is Apple Music. P.S. I urge you to listen to my playlists.

09:00 Get to the office and my day unfolds as the full-time creative that I am.

09:30 to 16:00 My day consists of being a social media manager. So that means going to meetings, briefings, writing copy for brands and cooking up new ideas. Everything in between happens as the day progresses, such as replying to emails, sorting out my own diary for my own bookings, creating my content for social media, and more. Side note: the one aspect about admin that I despise the most is trying to remember everything I agreed to. And if I were to have lunch, anything with pasta is always welcome.
By this time, I’m leaving the office to attend other things, running errands, meeting with someone for business or going home.

16:30 to 18:00 On a normal day I go back to the West Rand. I would then get home to just chill it out, watch a series, or catch up on work.

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Lelowhatsgood Trivia Box

This year’s highlight:

I’ve played at Boiler Room and I’ll be playing at AfroPunk this year.

Favourite DJing equipment between CDJs, 360s, Vinyl and software? 

CDJs are superior but I would like to go analogue and learn vinyl.

First song you played when you started DJing?

Oh my, do I even remember? I think it was between Azealia Banks’s 1991 and OKZharp & Manthe Ribane’s Teleported.

The one song that eases the nerves before you hop on stage?

Benjamin Jephta Quintet’s One For The Plein, Pt. 1.

Your favourite album, artist and song of the year?

Tough. Albums would be between FKA Twigs’s MAGDALENE, Lana Del Rey’s Norman F***ing Rockwell!, Willow’s self-titled album and Solange’s When I Get Home. The artist who peaked are Ari Lennox, Muzi and Samthing Soweto. Song of the Year… there are too many to choose from.

If your sound as a DJ was a sandwich, what kind would it be?

It would be a Dagwood.

You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why?

A rainbow crayon. I guess because I’m a layered individual and it also represents the LGBTQ+ flag.

What’s the philosophy you live by? 

Whatever [energy] you put out in the universe, always comes back. 

Image Credit: Mpumelelo Macu / Lelo Meslani Instagram