Bleep

Grammy-nominated alternative jazz drummer, producer, and rapper Kassa Overall releases “2 Sentimental”, a melancholic reimagining of Duke Ellington’s ballad “In a Sentimental Mood”, which Overall has transformed into an anthem for musicians struggling to survive the economic upheaval of the post-pandemic era.

Kassa penned the lyrics during a period of heightened financial stress, living in Midtown Manhattan during the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic. He began writing “2 Sentimental” as he sat outside a Times Square pizzeria, feeling an apocalyptic sense of despair after a failed trip to pick up residual checks at a nearby musician’s union. He opens with a play on the motivational message of OutKast’s classic “Git Up, Git Out”:

“They say to ‘Git Up, Git Out and Git Something’ If you broke, they gone treat you like you nothing”

He goes on to ruminate on the paradoxical experience of being a critically acclaimed artist who is broke(“How the toast of the town living like he poor?”), and has to beg on the internet for money:

A fan told me that I got her through her darkest times But I’m on the internet, sounding like the March of Dimes Hit my Venmo, help me with my Kickstarter I need some fresh gear, maybe we could barter

He then set these words to the music of Duke Ellington’s classic “In a Sentimental Mood”, as played by his longtime friend and collaborator, the virtuosic pianist Sullivan Fortner. Stephan Crump provided acoustic bass and Isabella Du Graf contributed additional vocals.

The single’s release comes in the midst of a 70+ date world tour in support of ANIMALS, with dates across North America, Europe, and Japan. Overall has just announced several new 2024 U.S. tour dates, including appearances at Big Ears, SXSW, Blue Note NYC, and a string of shows opening for hip-hop pioneers Digable Planets in the Midwest and on the West Coast.

Overall’s new album ANIMALS, released in May, has earned support from The New York Times, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Paste, Treble, Brooklyn Vegan, American Songwriter, NPR Music, among many others. He also delivered a Tiny Desk performance described by the institution as a “virtuosic display of musicianship, lyricism and artistic innovation”