'Tis The Season for Holiday Rhymes
Hip-hop has given us holiday classics since 1979.
We are officially in the holiday season in a year that has seemingly sped by. And as winter’s cold grips most of the nation and retailers do everything in their power to pry open our pockets, we know that if nothing else signals the time of year, the music will always let us know we've reached the close of the calendar.
There are cultural staples that are ubiquitous throughout the season that let you know it’s time to hang the stockings and pull out the decorations: Donny Hathaway’s version of "This Christmas," The Temptations' rendition of "Silent Night," and, of course, Mariah Carey’s iconic "All I Want for Christmas Is You." And though holiday music is often synonymous with the crooning of soulful singers, emcees in hip-hop have provided a soundtrack for yuletide cheer for the past four decades.
But what makes the perfect hip-hop holiday song in a genre known for its bravado and swagger more than for being tender and family-oriented? For starters, it helps when an artist can create a jam that fuses their flavor with the spirit of the season without coming off corny or forced. That is no small feat, which is why, though numerous holiday-inspired hip-hop songs have been recorded, only a handful have stood the test of time as certified bops.
So let’s consider: What are the GOAT holiday rap jams? The records that keep the party jumpin’ at the North Pole. The joints that Santa never takes off his playlist, that are cold enough to keep Frosty in form and hot enough to keep firesides blazing bright in cold countries.
”Christmas In Hollis” by Run DMC (1987)
Though not the first holiday rap song, "Christmas in Hollis" is arguably the most iconic hip-hop holiday song ever recorded. Run-DMC brought a ridiculous amount of swag to the holiday season, and the rhymes were on-brand with their aesthetic. The video of Run receiving a bag full of cash from Santa and DMC salivating over the meal prepared during Christmas time in Hollis, Queens, was seared into my memory the first time I saw it. The late, great Jam Master Jay on the turntables with the tree in the backdrop, and the mischievous elves looking to rock the group’s signature fedora hat, rope chains and shell-toe Adidas, was the perfect complement to Run DMC’s lyrics about appreciating the season.
I think it’s the Greatest Of All Time as far as holiday rap goes, but there are other contenders…
“Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto” by Snoop Dogg, Daz Dilinger, Nate Dogg, Tray Dee, and Bad Azz (1996)
In the early and mid-1990s, Death Row Records were the kings of the subgenre known as gangsta rap. After multiplatinum records from Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, the Dogg Pound, and soundtracks such as "Above the Rim," the West Coast powerhouse decided to dip their Chuck Taylors into the realm of holiday music with their 1996 release, "Christmas on Death Row." The album’s first single, "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto," was a hip-hop rendition of the original recorded by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, in 1968.
Death Row’s breakout star, Snoop Doggy Dogg, provided a lyrical vision of what an ideal Christmas celebration would look like in the ’hood, which included giving his mother, Beverly, some grandchildren as presents. Daz, Tray Dee and Bad Azz spat bars that gave those of us who lived outside Long Beach and South Central Los Angeles a glimpse of how Gs cherish the season, while the late Nate Dogg crooned a chorus convincing anyone with doubt that ol' St. Nick was, in fact, coming straight to the ghetto.
This record was truly authentic to the sound and vibe of Death Row at the time, as nothing about it felt even remotely cheesy. I’m sure in 2025 somebody out there might be bumpin' it in their lowrider on the way to the family house.
“Christmas Rappin’” by Kurtis Blow (1979)
Hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow is credited with recording the first hip-hop holiday/Christmas song with the release of 1979’s "Christmas Rappin’." At the time, it was the first rap song issued on a major label (Mercury Records) and went on to sell 400,000 copies. "Christmas Rappin’" came along at a time when the music industry was skeptical about the burgeoning genre known as hip-hop.
The Sugar Hill Gang’s "Rappers Delight" was released a few months prior to "Christmas Rappin’" and had gained a considerable amount of traction, but it was the reception to Kurtis Blow’s simple, bouncy flow on his holiday tribute that caused record execs to see a gold mine in the genre. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the decades, several Christmas-inspired rap songs have been released to varying degrees of success. There were unconventional records such as "Player's Ball," which launched Outkast's legendary career when it was released as a single from LaFace Records' Christmas album, cementing their place in hip-hop history. And there are records like "Merry Muthaf*ckin Christmas" released by N.W.A. co-founder, the late Eazy E, that did not have as big an impact but which are still considered a significant contribution to the sub genre of holiday rap.
Should you decide to, there are multiple streaming services with playlists dedicated to Christmas hip-hop, as these types of records have been made nearly every year since Kurtis Blow’s "Christmas Rappin’." Enjoy some yuletide beats and bars with your loved ones!
