Whenever I’ve heard Raph Boogie guesting on a track, I’ve always found myself turning the song up. Whilst he sounds a lot like the other great Australian hiphop MCs, he brings something extra to the sound and now with his full artist album delivered fresh and funky as ever, I’ve figured out what it is – fun! Le Bump is an incredibly fun album, never taking things too seriously, and still manages to be a superb album.
The opener, Boogie Bump, reminds me of Wonderful Night by Fatboy Slim, which despite being on Palookaville is one hell of a track. It’s similarly fun and bouncy, and it’s no wonder as it’s produced by Danielsan from Koolism, one of the grooviest motherfunkers around.
Fore, featuring RuCl and mixed by Plutonic Lab is one of my favourites, and harkens back to the megamix style raps of the late 80s – the track switches and changes and sounds like four tracks in one. Tea Cake is all about mixing and eating cake. You know, the sugary sweet one from a bakery. I’ve tried to find a subtext here, but honestly don’t think it is one – after all this is hiphop and if it was about pussy or dope, you’d expect them to be a lot more obvious about it.
One of the things I really like about Raph is there’s not much braggadocio here. Hush is probably the closest he gets to the usual Aussie Hiphop diss, and being mixed by the Nextmen it’s funky as hell, so is really enjoyable. I Know gets a little bit more serious, as Raph sings about his deceased father, but it’s a respectful homage and doesn’t bring the overall vibe down that much at all. Twister feat BVA, is also mixed by the Nextmen, who bring a real UK hiphop vibe to the track. Emergency, produced by BVA has a great girly vocal that gets stuck in your head.
Although I don’t think Raph’s flow on tracks is much different to any other Aussie hiphop MC, I think Le Bump is a superbly produced album, and the positive overall vibe makes me smile like an idiot when listening to it. Unlike some other acts putting albums out, Le Bump will stand out in a crowded market because of its sense of fun and joie de vivre.