Kevin’s Lofi Café

I purchased the domain name for my sole proprietorship metaverse project today. Signed the virtual deed for digital real estate. While the meme of an imaginary space to study and relax in has been remixed ad nauseum online, I’m submitting my own spin on the idea of a lofi café. I’ll record my journey developing the metaverse café here, and use this document to review this first implementation and revise for future projects.

What is Lofi Hip Hop?

In 2004, Samurai Champloo introduced the world to the music of Nujabes, a Japanese hip hop producer who’s signature sound was created by running the audio from records through layers of analog processing equipment to distort and reshape the audio into the sound known as lofi hip hop today. That signature downtempo sound, which fused the elements of American hip hop, Latin American beats, and Japanese audio technology, would go on to score the late night study sessions of university students around the globe, creating an international sound to pair with the culture of rigorous academia so valued by Asian cultures. Anonymous bedroom producers, only known by their screen names, started lofi hip hop radio stations on Youtube such as Lofi Girl and Trappin in Japan. These projects pushed the limits and artistry of old technology, pairing visuals of anime characters navigating retrofuturism with visually remixed VHS technology. Like the Asian American diaspora, the lofi movement silently assimilated into the fabric of American culture, its community of anonymous auteurs choosing to highlight the collective over the individual with remixes nodding to the past while looking to the future.

What are the elements of Lofi Hip Hop?

In my world, there are 5 elements of Lofi Hip Hop, which include the original four pillars of Hip Hop (Graffiti, Turntablism, Rap, Breaking otherwise known as Art, Music, Speech, Dance), along with the implied fifth pillar: Gastronomy. Without well fed and refreshed guests, there is no hip hop. The Lofi Café is dedicated to developing the proposed fifth pillar of lofi hip hop in conjunction with the other four elements.

What is a metaverse café?

As a concept: Imagine a pop up bubble teahouse in the real world with a permanent digital presence for the business in virtual & augmented reality. The VR/AR café will be built in Meta’s Horizons or Microsoft’s Alt Space and use digital assets developed or assembled in Unity or Unreal Engine. Café patrons will be able to visit the virtual space and interact like they would in a physical analog space. There will be VIP seats or booths available for purchase in the café via NFTs that will entitle the holder to meals and perks at the real world pop up café.

What do you think?

Cyberpunk? Y / N — Let me know in the comments below