It’s the holiday season, and folks are decorating their lawns and preparing feasts and presents for incoming loved ones. It’s hard to imagine this time of year without thinking of all the music that only feels fit to play as snow caresses dehydrated blades of grass. Frankly, much of the holiday music is watered-down commercial pop, more fitting for a playlist at Target than the soundtrack to a warm home. It is not easy to find authentic holiday music that truly skates around the annoyance of crowded store aisles and reminds us of the child-like excitement of the season. Thankfully, Hip-hop is home to some of the most pure and refreshing holiday tunes of the past few decades.
We could’ve gone with several Hip-hop Holiday classics for this Golden Age Thursday. Death Row released an entire album of holiday songs in 1996. Outkast’s “Player’s Ball” (the Die Hard of Hip-hop holiday songs) would’ve sufficed, but it felt like an even better time to dig up a Hip-hop-holiday tune that might be the very first one that comes to mind for most Hip-hop heads. Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” is a hip-hop classic even outside the realm of holiday-themed rap. Initially released in 1987, the single landed on two Christmas compilation CDs. It officially found a home in the group’s discography as a bonus song on the deluxe version of their 1988 Tougher Than Leather LP. This “Christmas in Hollis” performance is from 1987 and features a brief interview with the trio about their inspiration behind the tune. You can watch the full performance below. Happy holidays from Glide Mag!
