Serengeti (rapper)

History

In 2007, Serengeti released the collaborative album Don't Give Up with fellow local producer Polyphonic. The duo released their second album Terradactyl on Anticon in 2009.

Serengeti's solo album, Family & Friends, was released on the label in 2011. It was produced by Yoni Wolf of Why? and Owen Ashworth of Advance Base and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

He is a member of Sisyphus along with Son Lux and Sufjan Stevens. The trio released Beak & Claw in February 2012 and a self-titled album in 2014. Serengeti released Kenny Dennis EP and C.A.R. later that year. The EP and the album are both produced by Jel and Odd Nosdam.

Style

Serengeti's music is a sharp departure from most mainstream hip hop, which he considers "depressing" and always consists of "the same redundant ideas." His music includes numerous references to Chicago culture often done in character as one of his several personae. On the title track of his album Dennehy, Serengeti assumes the role of "Kenny," a married man who loves Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox with a thick Chicago accent reminiscent of Bill Swerski's Superfans. The track makes numerous references that would be well known to a Chicagoan, including the radio station WCKG, polish and Italian sausage, Tom Skilling, Mike Ditka, Dave Corzine, Portillo's Restaurants and "The Super Bowl Shuffle."

In an interview, Serengeti said he created Dennehy as an "answer to common complaints about hip-hop" and "to put the fun back in hip-hop." Although the album helped him garner a large fanbase, Serengeti's other albums explore different genres of music from garage rock, electronic music, underground hip hop and experimental hip hop.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Remix albums

Singles

Guest appearances

Compilation appearances