Why lo-fi is the perfect background music
Lo-Fi hip-hop has emerged as a hugely popular genre and internet subculture. Its millions of loyal fans rely on curated lo-fi playlists and live-streams to write to, study to and even fall asleep to. Heck, we even wrote a good chunk of our book to Spotify\u2019s lo-fi beats playlists. There\u2019s just something about those ambient, spacey, plodding beats that place us in a state of determined zen. But what of its musical roots? Who are its stars? And why, despite its mass following on YouTube, Spotify and elsewhere, is it nearly impossible to spot on the Billboard? We trace lo-fi from its godfathers to its moments in the sun, to the complex creative ecosystem playing out on streaming platforms today.\n\nMORE\nYou can find music from this episode on this week\u2019s Spotify playlist\nSign up for Cherie Hu\u2019s newsletter Water & Music that sent us down the lo-fi hip hop rabbit hole\nCheck out Seneca B on Spotify:\nCheck out weird inside on Spotify\nCheck out eevee on Spotify\n\nSONGS DISCUSSED\nBrenky - Bye\nBrenky - People\nJ Dilla ft. Common, D\u2019Angelo - So Far To Go\nIsley Brothers - Don\u2019t Say Goodnight (It\u2019s Time For Love), Pts. 1&2\nCharlatan - Wasted Jazz\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices