Perfect for work BGM too! Recommended Lo-Fi Hip Hop classics
Lo-fi hip hop—now firmly established as an internet-born genre—has been heavily influenced by legendary track makers like J Dilla and Nujabes.
On our site, we’ve already introduced plenty of must-hear tracks in the article “Perfect for remote work and staying in! Recommended Lo-Fi Hip Hop Hits,” but this time we’re focusing on albums.
Even if you enjoy songs through compilation albums or streaming services, many of you might not have ventured into full albums yet.
From timeless staples to hidden masterpieces, take this opportunity to check them out.
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Perfect as background music for work! Recommended Lo-Fi Hip Hop masterpieces (11–20)
SerenityKupla
Evoking a world straight out of a Ghibli film, Kingdom in Blue is a masterpiece released in 2020 by Coopra.
Based in London and calling himself a nerdy dreamer, Coopra samples the soundtrack of Whisper of the Heart and performs keyboards and percussion to add depth and dimension to his ethereal music.
He’s an ambitious artist, known for streaming lo-fi hip-hop 24/7 on the famous YouTube channel formerly called ChilledCow and now known as Lofi Girl.
Honey (I can’t tell you how much it hurts)Moow
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.
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.
just friendspotsu
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.
Magic SpellBROCKBEATS
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.
Bebop LoungeBebop
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.
In conclusion
Lo-fi hip-hop artists don’t necessarily stick to the album format; some releases never come out physically, while others are intentionally put out only on vinyl or cassette.
Digging into those aspects can be a lot of fun.
Including their carefully crafted artwork, be sure to dive deep into the artists’ unique worlds!