Sometimes, at Christmas, the cheesy tunes we all know and love consume our lives as we hear them everywhere â the office Christmas party, retail stores and on those amazing adverts. But if youâre looking for some songs to jazz up your playlists, try a rap song or two from this list. The festive season is all about coming together and celebrating what a joyous year weâve had, despite 2021’s setbacks â so treat yourself!
Run-DMC, âChristmas In Hollisâ (1987)
Let’s take it all the way back to the early days of hip-hop: Run-DMC created the coolest throwback rap Christmas song that still gets played nearly 15 years later. The hip-hop duo captured the upbeat spirit of Christmas with their spritely tale of having yule logs by the fireplace whilst drinking eggnog under the mistletoe.
Most festive moment: At the start of the song, our favourite rapper-turned-reality star Rev Run mistakes Santa and a reindeer as a âa man chilling with his dog in the parkâ.
Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, âSanta Claus Goes Straight To The Ghettoâ (1996)
Need some gangster rap from the â90s? Add this to your Christmas playlist. When Death Row Records was the biggest label of the West Coast, they made a Christmas-themed album, ‘Christmas on Death Row’. This was the lead single, on which all the featured artists cruise around a wailing R&B beat, interpolating the â12 Days Of Christmasâ, which weâve all recited in primary school one too many times. A heady mix.
Most festive moment: Snoopâs Christmassy quip: âSanta Claus on the ceiling, Jack Frost chillin’ / Pinch the Grinch for being a holiday villainâ.
Rev Run & The Christmas All Stars, âSanta Babyâ (1997)
âChristmas In Hollisâ might be the Christmas anthem, but âSanta Babyâ is a star-studded bi-coastal gem that’s all too often forgotten about. The â90s’ biggest rap stars â Salt-N-Pepa, Snoop Dogg, P. Diddy and Mase feature on the song, showing what Christmas is all about: togetherness. This was especially potent amid the whole West Coast-East Coast rivalry notorious at the time.
Most festive moment: Snoop Dogg â again â lays a great couple lines on Christmas: âI’m waiting on this fat Red Suit wearing-comparing / My gifts to my home boy next door to meâ. Heâs definitely the most dedicated rapping elf.
Ying Yang Twins, âDeck The Clubâ (2008)
Everyone needs a little bit of trappy southern hip-hop in their life, and the Ying Yang Twins are a reliable group for it. If youâre in need of something comical and overtly clichĂ©d, ’00s gem âDeck The Clubâ is for you. This cheeky track should be just as iconic as Southern smashes âWait The Whisper Songâ or âGet Lowâ; after one listen, youâll make it a Christmas tradition to sing, âDeck da club with piles of money / Falalalala, lala, la, laâ.
Most festive moment: Considering the production still sounds like itâs stuck in ’00s Atlanta ’00s, the chiming bells offer are the real differentiation here, letting you know itâs the Ying Yang Twins doing Christmas.
DMX, âRudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeerâ (2012)
This simple a cappella take on âRudolph the Red-nosed Reindeerâ is everything we loved about the late, great Yonkers-raised DMX. His signature gruff delivery is front-and-centre as he bangs onto US radio station Power 106 FMâs desk, singing the song with the added âCome on!â or âUh!â in between. DMX was often seen as an aggressive tough guy, and this was a fun and light moment that’s always joyous to revisit at this time of year.
Most festive moment: DMXâs excitement â before he even sings the song â as he recites the introduction: “You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen / Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blizten / But do you recall / The most famous reindeer of all? / COME ON!”
Bali Baby, âBomin for Usâ (2017)
Changing the word âComingâ to âBominâ to show her former gangster blood ties, Atlanta rapper Bali Babyâs cover of Siaâs Christmas song ‘Coming For Us’ is just as quirky and light-hearted as the original. Bali Baby has such a distinctively high and squeaky vocal delivery, making it perfect for a festive tune. A small gem from the SoundCloud era.
Most festive moment: Baliâs âOh la la la / oh la la laâs is note-perfect.
Boy Better Know, âChristmas Riddim 2017â (2017)
Most of the good Christmas rap songs come from America, but this grime riddim is a hidden gem that only die-hard grime fans know about. It’s unlisted on YouTube â meaning that you wouldnât know about this song without a link â but those in the know have long been bopping along Frisco, Jammer, Shorty, Skepta and JME.
Most festive moment: They all lay formidable verses, but the endless Santa Claus references are delightfully tongue-in-cheek â and the last thing you’d expect to hear in a grime set.
Kanye West featuring Teyana Taylor and Cyhi The Prince, âChristmas In Harlemâ (2018)
Featuring the charming vocals of then-rising juggernaut Teyana Taylor, âChristmas In Harlemâ is a sweet little track â the kind youâd expect to hear in an offbeat, New York-set Christmas movie. Kanye takes the lead with his âThe College Dropoutâ-style, kid-next-door vibe, while Christmas comes early for Kanye-cosigned Georgia rapper and singer Cyhi The Prince. If you canât get enough of the soothing track, thereâs an extended, nine-minute version with your favourite New Yorkers â Jim Jones, Camâron and more. This tune harnesses that true main character energy we all want at Christmastime.
Most festive moment: Kanye West admitting himself that heâs âa little late with the Christmas gifts”. For some of us out here, thatâs reality.
Tyler, the Creator, âYouâre A Mean One, Mr. Grinchâ (2018)
Appearing on ‘Music Inspired by Illumination and Dr. Suess’ The Grinch’, the six-track soundtrack Tyler made for the animated remake of the classic Christmas film The Grinch, âYouâre A Mean One, Mr. Grinchâ is a fun rap song that both children and adults can enjoy. Covering the original track from the first Grinch animated movie, 1966’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Tyler made a grumpy and dark hip-hop track that could actually have nestled on on his critically-acclaimed âFlower Boyâ album the year before.
Most festive moment: Like many do at this time of year, Tyler absolutely rips The Grinch a new one: âWho is this mean fellow / With his skin all green and his teeth all yellow?â.
Ms Banks, âOn My Wayâ (2021)
There are too few new Christmas rap songs, if you ask us, but Ms Banksâ newest release âOn My Wayâ harnesses all the greatness of the other songs on this list. Itâs cheeky and boasts great Christmassy wordplay (“Santa’s about / I wanna slay”), though there are unfortunately no sleigh bells in the background. However, the zippy drill production will suffice. Reeking of bad bitch energy, Banks has made a certified anthem for all the independent ladies having fun this Christmas, no matter what the UK Government says.
Most festive moment: Thereâs a bunch of amazing one-liners â the best being: âSanta is a no-show / But Iâve been bad five years in a rowâ.
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