What Is Lo-Fi? A Conversation with Illohim
Hotly contested, Audiomack speaks with North Carolina producer Illohim to break down the meaning of lo-fi hip-hop.
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The term “lo-fi” is hotly contested within modern rap music. The general consensus on what it means and whether or not it’s appropriate is spotty, at best. Lo-fi is an abbreviation for low fidelity, music featuring imperfections either by circumstance or by choice. Since a lot of early rap was made using shoddy equipment, flaws like tape hiss, vinyl crackle, and minimal mixing made up the aesthetic established by producers such as RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. Lo-fi wasn’t considered a genre in hip-hop’s initial heyday, but its ethos drove much of the boom-bap being created at the time.