Terradactyl, Serengeti and Polyphnic’s follow up to their 2007 debut, Don’t Give Up, is another failed attempt to marry polar approaches to hip-hop.

Chicago rapper Serengeti, who has bounced around the hip-hop circuit for more than a decade, is at his best when relating anecdotes with colorful imagery over simple, lighthearted beats. Producer Polyphonic comes from a different camp, the far-left field sound more characteristic sound of label Anticon, the label Terradactyl was released on. Polyphonic creates spacey electronic beats somewhat reminiscent of Flying Lotus.

For the most part, Terradactyl is dominated by Polyphinc’s bassy beats, which successfully combine electronic noises with aurally pleasing plucks and strings. Polyphonic manages to make a cohesive landscape that continues to provide interesting turns throughout. Serengeti tends to get lost in this vast soundscape. In order to accommodate, Serengeti is forced to resort to played-out themes and dumbed-down choruses.

There are a few flashes of Serengeti’s trademark poetic flow, such as the tracks “Cleveland” and the highlight of the album “My Patriotism.”

Jack Baars is a DJ at the award-winning KUPS 90.1FM in Tacoma

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