RAG MusicHIPHOP-Rap
Recommended hip-hop/rap

Perfect for telework and staying at home! Recommended popular Lo-Fi hip hop tracks

Are you familiar with “Lo-fi Hip Hop,” a genre that quietly gained popularity among music fans online from the mid to late 2010s and now feels firmly established as its own category?

If you were intrigued by the thumbnail image from the representative YouTube music channel for lo-fi hip hop, “ChilledCow,” known for looping a scene from Studio Ghibli’s film Whisper of the Heart, you certainly weren’t alone—there were quite a few people who noticed it even back then.

Sampling old jazz and soul, the beats brimming with a chilled vibe are widely loved not only by hip-hop listeners but also as background music for getting work done.

This time, we’ve researched classic tracks by key artists and will introduce them in a beginner-friendly way!

Also great for remote work and relaxing at home! Recommended popular Lo-Fi Hip Hop tracks (11–20)

Serenity (Original Mix)Kupla

At the forefront of the YouTube music channels that drove the lo-fi hip-hop movement is the France-based “ChilledCow.” It gained a huge following with a looping clip from Studio Ghibli’s film Whisper of the Heart, cementing the association between lo-fi hip-hop and Japanese animation.

Since March 2021, ChilledCow has been active under the name “Lofi Girl,” but let me introduce “Serenity,” a track released in 2020 by Kupla—ChilledCow’s founder and a beatmaker.

With sound design that’s nostalgic and delicate—like a Ghibli film, evoking cherished memories from childhood—it embodies the very essence of classic lo-fi hip-hop.

It’s gently jazzy, and the occasional children’s voices are highly effective.

Perfect for a relaxed evening.

KOH-1
Report a problem

ExactlyPandrezz, j’san.

This track, “Exactly,” is also featured on the compilation album Chillhop Radio: Beats to Relax To, which is perfect for newcomers to lo-fi hip hop and chillhop.

Created by a duo of beatmakers from France, it was originally released in 2018.

With its charming keyboard tones, an eye-catching riff that sounds like a live guitar, a bassline that builds the overall groove, and that quintessentially lo-fi, gritty texture, it’s an ideal piece of lounge music.

Put it on repeat as background music on a plan-free weekend morning while you sip a coffee, and you’ll probably feel set for a happy day.

KOH-1
Report a problem

motionsfujitsu

fujitsu – motions [Chillhop Release]
motionsfujitsu

If you’re Japanese, just seeing the artist’s name will make you grin, won’t it? This is a classic track featured on Chillhop Music—the most important label in the lo-fi hip-hop scene—in their Japan-exclusive 2019 compilation “Chillhop Radio: Beats to Relax to”! The birdsong, ocean waves, weathered noise, and wistful guitar tones evoke a summer sunset, and the endlessly expanding, lo-fi-hip-hop-style nostalgic scenery feels wonderfully soothing.

It’s included on the 2017 EP “Corals,” and if you enjoy lo-fi hip-hop infused with environmental sounds, this is a style you’re sure to love.

On the artist’s SoundCloud page, you can also find tracks with a completely different flavor, leaning toward techno and house, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out!

KOH-1
Report a problem

sunrisemt. fujitive

What’s interesting is that the video published on YouTube has a Japanese title.

The track was released in 2017 by Mount Fujitive, an Icelandic beatmaker with a distinctly Japanese-sounding artist name, and it’s one of the earlier works in his discography.

The album it appears on is even titled “honshu island,” which really conveys Fujitive’s unwavering aesthetic.

While the track itself has the feel of classic lo-fi hip-hop, the gentle warmth born from the guitar’s tone carries a faint bossa nova scent that is truly pleasant.

It makes you want to live more mindfully—waking up at dawn to light spilling in through the window, with this BGM playing in the background.

KOH-1
Report a problem

falling down (ft. shiloh)nohidea

Many tracks categorized as lo-fi hip-hop are very short, and that’s exactly why it feels important to see how much individuality can be expressed in just one or two minutes.

The track discussed here, “falling down,” packs a memorable melody into roughly a minute and a half, giving it a charm that makes you want to replay it.

Released in 2017 by nohidea, a mysterious beatmaker from Canada now based in Los Angeles, the piece features a beautifully crafted melody with vocalist Shiloh rather than samples from old records, and what is likely the sound of a live guitar used to great effect.

Even without lo-fi hip-hop style production, it seems like it could hold up as a conventional acoustic singer-songwriter track!

KOH-1
Report a problem

lilyeevee

Founded in 2012 and based in Calgary, Canada, the label INNER OCEAN RECORDS is known for its meticulous artwork and cassette releases, and is one of the most important labels in the lo-fi hip-hop to chillhop scene.

From the early days of the label, the Dutch female beatmaker eevee has been one of its flagship artists, and her aesthetic and worldview—shaped by Japanese animation and subculture—stand out as particularly distinctive within the roster.

The track featured here, “lily,” samples pieces such as “Dawn in the Forest” and “Along the Stream,” released in 1984 by Hiroshi Yoshimura, a master of Japanese ambient music.

Compared to others, its so-called lo-fi hip-hop nostalgia carries a certain loneliness and a slightly introspective mood that conveys a unique beauty.

As an aside, the video for “lily” uses footage from the cult anime Angel’s Egg, which all but compels one to feel it reflects the world eevee’s music inhabits.

KOH-1
Report a problem

In conclusion

Lo-fi hip-hop has become so well-known that it’s practically a meme on the internet, but it’s also true that its essence can be hard to grasp. These days, there are physical releases and compilation albums available as well, so let this playlist be your starting point and be sure to check out each artist’s albums and EPs too.