Jazz drummer, producer, bandleader, and rapper Kassa Overall takes Digable Planets’ “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” and gives it a new interpretation. Overall speeds things up and takes the funk, opting for a straight jazz feeling. The song combines his longtime love of jazz and hip-hop. He had plenty of time to learn every quirk of the song as a fan and as an opening act for Digable Planets and their drummer for a year. He broke down the methodology in a press release.

“It nods to Digable Planets’ smooth flow and Art Blakey’s ‘Stretching.’ Knowing the song so well, I was able to flip the script with odd time rhythms and utilize many elements from the original, from vocal parts to production details. This one is high energy and still crispy.”

The song is among a collection of hip-hop covers that will be on Overall’s forthcoming album, CREAM, which is his fourth. The forever conversation between jazz and hip-hop is still alive and Overall’s passion for both will be fully unleashed on CREAM. The album comes out September 12 on the Warped label and he will start his next American tour before its release. You can see all of the dates and buy tickets on his website.

London-based jazz collective Kokoroko have released their sophomore album, Tuff Times Never Last. The band warms and uplifts the soul with songs that comfort and entertain. Jazz is the entry point to their sound but they blend R&B and lovers rock into the mix in a way that would make their foremother Sade proud. Their debut album, Could We Be More, came out three years ago and had more contemplation in its sound. They decided to make music with brighter feelings this time and co-bandleader Onome Edgeworth said:

“We tour so much so you want it to be fun. When all your songs are so serious and intense, you miss out on enjoying yourself sometimes. We asked ourselves the question, “What do we want our next years to feel like?” And we wrote music with the intention of it having colour and a sense of playfulness.”

Kokoroko is currently touring North America and has a few dates yet. Tickets are still available for the shows in Chicago and California. 

R&B singer Tave’s newest single, “BLOCK,” features rapper IDK and Philly veteran Musiq Soulchild. Tave shares some of life’s contradictions with a coolness amplified by the company of his collaborators. The message is not to always assume you know what’s real from a surface observation. Their collective effort is next-generation hip-hop soul. The single is included on his upcoming Fly Away EP that has appearances from Stacy Barthe, India Shawn, Bibi Bourelly, Kenyon Dixon, and more. Check out the official video and look for Fly Away to be released on August 15th. 

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 ImageNation and Black Public Media will present an outdoor screening of Nicole London’s The Disappearance of Miss Scott at the Richard Rogers AmOn Saturday, August 30, 2025 ImageNation and Black Public Media will present an outdoor screening of Nicole London’s The Disappearance of Miss Scott at the Richard Rogers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. phitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. Hazel Scott was a jazz piano prodigy who was born in Trinidad and raised in Harlem. History usually relegates her to being the second wife of famous Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Scott was the second Black person to have her own television show in 1950 which was 11 years after Ethel Waters and six years before Nat King Cole debuted their shows. She was a musical child prodigy who received scholarships to study at the Juilliard School when she was eight years old. As an entertainer she did not stop at music, and she appeared in five films, always as herself, always refusing roles that she found demeaning. Her politics became an issue during her career because of her strong support of civil rights. She was accused of being a communist and she eventually had to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee and the fallout caused her to move to France until the controversy died down. London used archived interviews, performance footage, and commentary from Alicia Keys, Mickey Guyton, Camille Thurman, Amanda Seales, Tracie Thomas, and Jason Moran to tell Scott’s story. Sheryl Lee Ralph takes on the voice of Scott in the documentary. London will be there for the event and DJ SheJay P/Shift will perform a DJ set. 

“Partnering with Black Public Media for this year’s ImageNation OUTDOORS is especially meaningful as we bring Hazel Scott—an icon of artistry and activism—back to Harlem, where her legacy was born,” said Gregory Gates, executive producer of ImageNation. “This screening, in the heart of her own community, is our way of honoring her brilliance and ensuring her story is remembered where it began.”

We’re proud to again collaborate with ImageNation to present The Disappearance of Miss Scott, a film that embodies the spirit of Black resilience, creativity, and truth-telling,” said Leslie Fields-Cruz, executive director of BPM. “These kinds of stories are essential—they challenge erasure and invite audiences to rediscover the power of our cultural pioneers.”

The screening will be held at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, 18 Mount Morris Park West (at 122nd Street). In case of rain, the event will be held at Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, 15 Mt Morris Park W (at W. 122nd Street), New York, NY 10027.

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