Perfect for work BGM too! Recommended Lo-Fi Hip Hop classics

Machinegun Rap (feat. Awon)Bluntone

Machinegun Rap (feat. Awon)

Hailing from Budapest, Brantone showcases a traditional style of hip-hop on his 2016 release Orbiting Rawbits, reminiscent of Pete Rock and A Tribe Called Quest.

He appears to have been active as a producer in the hip-hop scene since the 1990s, and has invited numerous guest rappers from the U.

S.

and the U.

K.

to feature on his tracks.

More than half of the songs on the album feature rap, evoking a vibe from before the surge of what later came to be called lo-fi hip-hop.

Magic SpellBROCKBEATS

magic spell

BlockBeats, who calls himself “Mr.

lo-fi chill pop,” is a Japanese composer.

His signature style features relaxing sounds adorned with natural ambience like rustling leaves and babbling streams.

Rather than making hip-hop as a backing track for rap, he focuses on crafting music that stands on its own.

Since 2015, he has been releasing music such as city pop and vaporwave, intentionally carving out a direction distinct from orthodox lo-fi hip hop.

His 2017 release Calm Life carries an oriental atmosphere reminiscent of the Japanese countryside, reportedly influenced by Haruomi Hosono.

just friendspotsu

just friends

It seems that Potsu pursues music as a bit of a side gig.

That said, his work has earned high praise—for example, it was sampled by the legendary American rapper XXXTentacion.

Potsu, who even writes his own artist name in katakana, is clearly fond of Japan.

On his 2018 album “just friends,” he crafts a laid-back sound reminiscent of the background music you’d hear in old Japanese anime.

Honey (I can’t tell you how much it hurts)Moow

Moow – Honey (I can’t tell you how much it hurts)

Muu’s “I can’t tell you how much it hurts,” which unfolds with a gentle, warm sound throughout, features guest vocals by Lotte Kestner, singer of the rock band Trespassers William, and samples a track by the legendary 1960s band The Velvet Underground.

The song is colored by soft vocals and a melancholic, decadent atmosphere.

Its frequent use in sleep mixes and playlists on YouTube suggests that its soothing sound wraps listeners’ hearts in comfort.

Nobody Like You (feat. Ben Hughes)NINJOI.

ninjoi. – Nobody Like You (feat. Ben Hughes)

Ninjoy, originally from New York and now based in Los Angeles.

The album title represents a “true dream,” and the artist name is a coined word that combines “ninja” and “enjoy.” Layering sounds sampled from old jazz records over gentle beats is classic lo-fi hip-hop, but he says he shaped his music after discovering Nujabes through the anime Samurai Champloo.

Despite being in his twenties, his sound—faithfully following the tradition of jazzy hip-hop’s golden style—has a wonderfully mature vibe.

Bebop LoungeBebop

Bebop Lounge

Hailing from Morocco, Saib incorporated the anime Cowboy Bebop into both the music and artwork of his 2017 album Bebop.

Since his 2015 debut, he has consistently produced music centered on bossa nova and jazz, and in 2021 he also released work through the prestigious Atlantic Records, known for rock, jazz, and R&B.

Saib doesn’t particularly identify with the lo-fi genre; he seems to prefer 1980s jazz such as fusion and AOR.

The content of Bebop is indeed stylish, lounge-oriented music reminiscent of that era.