Consumer Guide Album

Serengeti: Conversations With Kenny & The Legacy of Lee [Goldenfloyd, 2009]
There's one problem with this concept album: It's a genuine sequel, so that those who don't already know middle-aged white guy Kenny from Dennehy may have trouble relating to him as he descends into a 12-step funk. No such problem with his new acquaintance Lee, an African-American with entrepreneurial dreams of escaping his sanitation job by opening a laundromat. Sincere and clueless, Lee is defeated every which way, first by in-laws who turn Bubbles & Fun into a crack bazaar, but even worse in the end by the sincere, clueless white bohemian chick he hooks up with. Whether sampled or electro, Tony Trimm's beats lend not just musical presence but groove and a few hooks to plotting more nuanced than any summary can suggest. Hip-hop is regularly extolled for its storytelling, and there are individual tracks that justify the hype. But Serengeti's understanding of character development substantially surpasses that of, to name a personal favorite, Ghostface Killah. Even with lesser beats, it would make him a rapper worth seeking out. B+