Nach seinem zweiten Rotwein im noch geschlossenen Rhiz am Lerchenfeldergürtel beginnt Serengeti die wenigen Anwesenden über die österreichische Tennislegende Thomas Muster aufzuklären. Von seinem T-Shirt starrt uns ein Ozelot mit großen Augen an. Mit seiner Cap, samt der umgedrehten Washington-Redskins-Mütze, spiegelt sich in ihm sein Alter Ego Kenny Dennis (nur der Schnauzer fehlt). Während des Gesprächs ist der facettenreiche Charakter unseres Gegenübers fesselnder als das Gespräch selbst – die grimmige Miene weicht einem strahlenden Lächeln und dann wieder einem verträumten, wässrigen Blick ins Nichts. Den persönlicheren Fragen weicht er gekonnt aus und so bleibt ein Gespräch über den Verkauf von Salvia, Kennys Chancen für die kommende Präsidentschaftswahl und sein neues Kollabo-Projekt mit Open Mike Eagle – Cavanaugh. Leider war Open Mike zur Zeit des Interviews verhindert.
Interview: Wanja Bierbaum, Michael Reinhard
Illustrationen: Florian Appelt
The Message: For the collabo with Mike, you set up this background-story of the tower, where people – poor and rich – are separated. How did you come up with this story?
Serengeti: I was in L.A. and stayed in this hotel. It overlooked this building. And than we just came up with this whole thing. And when we started it became part of it. Mike and I expanding on it and we hope it happens, it hasn’t happened yet.
How many alter egos do you actually have in total?
I did my Kenny stuff. And now I have a new project, Derek. He was an older one, that I had too. I did a Derek album and it’s coming out.
How did the idea of Derek come up?
Just fantasy thoughts. He has everything.
In which connection you see him to yourself?
With Kenny it was like, he is somebody I wanted to be. And Derek maybe would be somebody that I wanted to be – in my darkest fantasy. He has everything and he is mean, like “I am Derek, you not”. On my Danny albums I had a lot of Derek-Songs. But this is my first Derek album.
Danny often seems like an escape from yourself.
Yeah, that’s right. Kenny is a guy, who knows what he wants and what he doesn’t like – very simple, basic and happy with his wife.
Do you connect the origins of these characters with a special time in your life?
I was working on the streets a lot – driving beer trucks. Then one day it just poured out. I didn’t realize that I had all this stuff built up. The whole universe came before my eyes. His wife’s name, his best friends name, his drink of choice, Bratwurst, cook outs.
Are you actually a fan of Bratwurst, or is that only Kenny? Because if you are, now is kind of the time to have one – you’re in Vienna.
Not a fan, but also not not a fan, you know?
Do you sometimes take up some of the habits of these characters?
Sometimes when I am in a situation, I think in my mind – what would Kenny do? Just to simplify this. The voice is coming to my head (speaks with Kenny’s voice). ”Just calm it down, just walk up to them and ask them, do they know the direction.” It is like a spirit guide. You are overcomplicating things. “Calm it down, pipe it down” – direct to the point.
You did this one Episode Kenny Dennis Sizzle. Are there any plans for another one?
Loose plans, but you know we did that and I am proud of it, but nothing really happened with it – until yet. However, it doesn’t even matter. It’s fun to write that stuff. I have a buddy I write stuff with, a couple of buddies actually.
Do it! Do you think HipHop needs more humor?
I like humor. (laughs) I just do what I like. That’s pretty much it.
It would be nice if not everyone was so serious in the Hip Hop game.
Hip Hop could change the world. Or humor could change the world. But there is a lot of humor out there so … I don’t know.
In an older interview you said that mainstream music is depressing to you. Because it’s always following the same concepts.
That interview was like from years ago. I don’t pay attention, it’s popular – so popular. To say you don’t like it … I just do what I am going to do and let’s leave it with that. Like it or not. I am just doing these little things and that’ll be that.
You studied in Sweden. What subject?
It was an international business school, but I didn’t do too much studying.
Do you miss anything about Sweden? How long did you live there?
Six months. Not a long time, but I miss the adventure of it. Being so excited.
Right now in Sweden they have some problems with right wing politics. As a foreigner – I know it was a long time ago – did you experience anything to that accord?
No. There’s is nothing I remember about ”the right” in Sweden. If I did it went over my head. It doesn’t fit with the image of it – but it’s everywhere.
You’re mother was a political activist. Can you tell us something about that?
I don’t want to talk about moms political stuff. I talk off the record. Or I don’t know. It was always so secret growing up: “Don’t tell anybody”. But now who cares, right? But that’s my mom’s business.
What about yourself? Any political ambitions, maybe a political alter ego?
And I am for the right? “You guys need to get it together” I do Kenny – for the right.
Kenny Trump!
Come on, you can do it. I did it. If I can do it, you can do it. If you can do it, I could do it. If I can do it, you can do it. That is all. That is his whole campaign. If I can do it – you can do it!
What would Kenny do?
Kenny? He would get a job – a J-O-B.
You used to sell Salvia.
Yeah I used to work for this company. We sold psycho-active herbs. But I have no idea about all that stuff. I never tried it. This stuff scares me. There are all types of crazy stuff. In America it was legal for human consumption, but …
