You might know the term lofi from the lofi hiphop beats to study or relax to. Originally lofi, or Lo-Fi (Low Fidelity), referenced to the way music was recorded. Where Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) strived to record music at the highest technical quality, resulting in a crystal clear sound, Lo-Fi was the opposite. The recordings often contained errors and glitches, and were in general of an amateurish unpolished level.
With the rise of DIY recording, which often meant using cheap technology and minimal production, the lofi sound started to grow from being an unforunate accident to a deliberate aesthetic.
Especially alternative indie rock started experimenting heavily with lofi sounds, which resulted in lofi often being referred to as an actual genre of music instead of a way of recording.
One could easily say hip-hop has as many links to lofi as alternative indie rock. A lot of hiphop in the 80s and 90s faced the same 'problems' with recording as the alternative rock scene. Loops were tagged onto each other, often re-recorded with subpar equipment in comparison to the expensive studios being used for pop music.
Artists like MF Doom and Wu Tang Clan seemed to seek out this sound on purpose, giving it a grimy and hard quality. With the addition of samples from movies and cultural references lyrics they laid a lot of the basics of what lofi hiphop is today. Still, one of the fathers of the often called 'drunk' rhythm that is the foundation of a lot of lofi hiphop is J Dilla.
One could easily say hip-hop has as many links to lofi as alternative indie rock. A lot of hiphop in the 80s and 90s faced the same 'problems' with recording as the alternative rock scene. Loops were tagged onto each other, often re-recorded with subpar equipment in comparison to the expensive studios being used for pop music.
Artists like MF Doom and Wu Tang Clan seemed to seek out this sound on purpose, giving it a grimy and hard quality. With the addition of samples from movies and cultural references lyrics they laid a lot of the basics of what lofi hiphop is today. Still, one of the fathers of the often called 'drunk' rhythm that is the foundation of a lot of lofi hiphop is J Dilla.