SERENGETI Family & Friends (Dig)

2011 album from the multi-faceted Chicago emcee. Serengeti streamlines his approach for Family & Friends, taking a breather from the knotty, introspective raps of his recent past and making one of the most enjoyable, clear-headed records of his career. It's a fresh look that features a couple of debuts as well. WHY? front man Yoni Wolf is responsible for roughly half of the beats herein, while the rest come from Advance Base, AKA. Owen Ashworth, officially marking the rebirth of the bedroom pop producer formerly known as Casio tone for the Painfully Alone. Over their just-right mix of spare musicality and lo-fi propulsion, Serengeti splits the difference between humor and moodiness, maintaining loads of style throughout.