If you’ve been anywhere near YouTube in the last decade, or struggle with ADHD and other associated disorders, you’ve likely heard oflo-fi hip-hop. The downtempo, melodic offshoot of hip-hop rose to prominence in the 2010s, thanks in part to the long-running YouTube radio station titled “Beats to Relax/Study to.” To many, this phenomenon is a direct result of the internet and the changing attitudes towards mental health. However, the revolutionary rise in lo-fi music has, unexpectedly, come from the beloved, cult-classicanimeSamurai Champloo.
An important aspect that has cemented anime’s place in mainstream pop culture has been its influence on the world of music, most notably modern hip-hop. Artists like Tyler the Creator, Thundercat, Denzel Curry, RZA and dozens more have all cited anime as one of their biggest creative inspirations, with most of these artists sampling elements from their favorite shows in their music. While a genre of television inspiring individual artists isn’t anything new, a single show going on to inspire and develop an entire genre of music is unprecedented, but one cult classic show has done just that.
The Sounds That Inspired Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo
Created byShinichirō Watanabe — the mind behindCowboy Bebop, and the upcomingLazarus—Samurai Champloois a limited anime series, following Jin, Mugen, and Fuu as they travel across Japan to find the “Sunflower Samurai.” The show takes its visual cues from artists like Kuniyoshi, and van Gogh, as the incredible fight scenes are intersected with stunning visuals and animation. Like all Watanabe-helmed projects, music plays a massive role inSamurai Champloo, both narratively and atmospherically.
Samurai Champloodraws itsmusical inspiration from 90s hip-hop. The soundtrack, produced by Nujabes and Fat Jon, is filled with relaxing, melodic tracks which underscore the show’s breathtaking animation, and occasionally juxtapose the action-packed fight scenes. Like ’90s hip-hop, the majority ofSamurai Champloo’s soundtrack is sampled, with the original recordings stemming from various genres, decades, and artists from around the world. Interestingly, a lot of hip-hop samples, includingSamurai Champloo’s come from ’60s and ’70s jazz.
Hip-hop inspired more than just the ambiance ofSamurai Champloo, it helped Watanabe to form the characters and the world. When conceptualizing the world ofSamurai Champloo, Watanabe said he was listening to heavy hip-hop when the idea for Mugen transpired in his head. Originally, Mugen was pitched as a rapping samurai, which is how the hip-hop soundtrack was originally intended to intersect with the show. However, Watanabe later took a more subtle approach to the intersection of music and narrative in the series, with the lo-fi soundtrack acting as a non-diegetic accompaniment tothe show’s genre-bending narrative.
Even if you’ve never seenSamurai Champloo, you’ve likely heard at least one song from its iconic soundtrack floating around on social media. The increasingly popularAruarian Danceby Nujabes has become something of an unofficial anthem on platforms like Instagram and TikTok for the “positive side of social media,” where users try and improve each other’s mental health and promote positivity and tranquility.
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How Samurai Champloo Inspired Lofi Hip-Hop
Much like Watanabe’s decision to infuse hisspace-themed drama,Cowboy Bebopwith jazz,Samurai Champloo’s incorporation of hip-hop was a cultural phenomenon at the time. The series boosted the careers of its soundtrack producers exponentially, with Nujabes going on to release his most popular album,Modal Soul, a year later, and Fat Jon releasing over a dozen albums after the show’s release.
The soft, voiceless melodies, accompanied by smooth and steady drum beats in the soundtrack went on to inspire a generation of producers and artists. When discussing their musical inspirations, famous producers like Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats, J Dilla, MF DOOM, and more, have cited Nujabes as one of their biggest influences. While Nujabes had a cult following beforeSamurai Champloo’s release, it was the show’s popularity with Western audiences that truly helped Nujabes to become a global force in the world of hip-hop production. Sadly, Nujabes passed away in 2010 — six years afterSamurai Champloo— in a fatal car accident. His legacy, however, continues to inspire to this day.
Nujabes andSamurai Champloo’s influence on modern hip-hop and lo-fi music, has come so far that many producers now sample beats, melodies, and dialogue from the show in their own music. A quick search on YouTube will provide hundreds of lo-fi compilations and songs directly mentioning or referencingSamurai Champlooand Watanabe’s other works likeCowboy BebopandSpace Dandy.
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Watanabe’s next project,Lazarus,is coming to Adult Swim in late 2024, and the first trailer showcases Watanabe’s signature use of music to create atmosphere and depth. This new year has also seenSamurai Champloo’s soundtrack officially released on streaming, over 15 years after the show was released, to the delight of an entire fanbase who no longer have to find the individual songs scattered across YouTube.
