Kassa Overall

Drummer, producer and rapper based in New York, Kassa Overall has carved a path at the intersection of contemporary jazz, hip‑hop and electronic music. Born and raised in Seattle, he trained in an academic jazz environment before relocating to the East Coast, where he became part of club and studio scenes. His work combines improvisation, rap writing and sound editing, with a pronounced use of spoken and sung voice, sampling and rhythms influenced as much by jazz as by trap or soul. After several self‑released projects and mixtapes, he issued the album Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz in 2019, followed by I Think I’m Good in 2020, which furthered this hybrid approach by featuring various instrumentalists and vocalists from the new generation of American jazz. With Animals, released in 2023, Kassa Overall broadened his palette again — ranging from electronic ballads and abstract textures to sections closer to rap — while retaining a strong acoustic drumming presence. Active live in variable formats, from solo to expanded ensembles, he alternates tours in jazz venues, festivals and contemporary music spaces, and pursues numerous collaborations as a drummer, beatmaker or MC within the New York scene.