Streams of chill, endless hip-hop beats set to visuals of animated characters have taken over YouTube, beloved by millions of users who listen to these videos while working or trying to fall asleep.

These playlists, single-hours-long videos with multiple tracks, all songs with the same theme, are often accompanied by simple, looping animations or slideshow visuals that capture a particular mood, ...

Dion Lewis was trying to make the best out of a difficult situation. Last August, when a storm left his Chicago neighborhood without electricity for a week, he improvised. Lewis had recently created a ...