RP Boo
High-velocity Chicago footwork built on jagged vocal chops and punishing drum machine patterns. Raw, kinetic, and designed for extreme movement.
High-velocity Chicago footwork built on jagged vocal chops and punishing drum machine patterns. Raw, kinetic, and designed for extreme movement.
Listening to RP Boo feels like being caught in a beautiful, high-speed collision. The music is defined by its relentless 160 BPM pulse, but it is far from a simple beat. It is a chaotic yet controlled architecture of sound where vocal samples are sliced into rhythmic shrapnel and drum patterns skip and jump in ways that defy standard house music logic. It is the sound of pure, unadulterated kinetic energy.
What sets him apart is the 'godfather' touch: a specific way of using the Roland R-70 and Akai sampler to create a sense of physical space and tension. His tracks often feel like they are tripping over themselves only to land perfectly on the beat, using silence and sudden bass drops as much as the percussion itself. It is a raw, unpolished aesthetic that prioritizes the 'work' of the dancer over the polish of the studio.
Start with 'Legacy' to hear the foundational blueprints of the genre. It captures the transition from juke to footwork, showcasing the eerie, repetitive vocal loops and the 'bent' basslines that would eventually influence electronic music scenes across the entire globe.
Kavain Wayne Space (born March 11, 1972), known as RP Boo or Arpebu, is an American Chicago-based electronic musician, producer and DJ known as one of the originators of the footwork genre during the 1990s. He released his debut album Legacy on Planet Mu in 2013. Born in West Chicago, RP Boo started as a DJ and dancer working with the House-O-Matics juke and House crew, making mixtapes, and contributing to the Bud Billiken Parade. His early, self-released singles are cited as foundational to the evolution of the style of Footwork. He produces tracks using a Roland R-70 drum machine and an Akai S01 digital sampler.
Shares basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere); intense, restless, playful (moods)
Shares sample based, drum machine, lo fi (production style); basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere)
Shares sample based, lo fi, minimalist (production style); processed, chanting, spoken word (vocal style)
Shares house, techno (subgenres); sample based, drum machine, minimalist (production style)
Shares sample based, lo fi, minimalist (production style); basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere)
Shares sample based, drum machine, lo fi (production style); basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere)
Shares basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere); intense, restless, urgent (moods)
Shares techno, house (subgenres); basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere)
Shares sample based, minimalist, noise textured (production style); basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere)
Shares basement show, urban night, late night (atmosphere); sample based, drum machine, lo fi (production style)
Shares footwork, sample based, chanting, urgent (signature)
Shares footwork, abstract hip-hop, chanting, nasal (signature)
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