Once upon a time in a universe far, far away, HipHopDX used to host blogs. Through Meka, Brillyance, Aliya Ewing and others, readers got unfiltered opinions on the most current topics in and beyond Hip Hop. After a few years, a couple redesigns and the collective vision of three different Editors-In-Chief, blogs are back. Well, sort of. Since our blog section went the way of two-way pagers and physical mixtapes, Twitter, Instagram and Ustream have further accelerated the pace of current events in Hip Hop. Rappers beef with each other 140 characters at a time, entire mixtapes (and their associated artwork) can be released via Instagram, and sometimes these events require a rapid reaction.
As such, we’re reserving this space for a weekly reaction to Hip Hop’s current events. Or whatever else we deem worthy. And the “we” in question is me, Andre Grant and Ural Garrett. Collectively we serve as HipHopDX’s Features Staff. Aside from tackling stray topics, we may invite artists and other personalities in Hip Hop to join the conversation. Without further delay, here’s this week’s “Stray Shots.”
Run-DMC – “Christmas In Hollis”
Andre: “Christmas In Hollis” is arguably the greatest Hip Hop Christmas song of all-time. It’s the quintessential holiday jam and introduced the world to the idea that Hip Hop didn’t have to be this hyper-dangerous genre for people from the other side of the tracks. The rhymes were clever and full of holiday cheer, as Rev Run dropped lines like, “Look, an elf-reindeer!”
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Eazy-E – “Merry Muthafuckin’ Christmas” featuring Atbann Klan, Buc Fifty & Menajahtwa
Ural: Essentially the polar opposite of Run DMC’s hood holiday cheer “Christmas In Hollis” displayed, “Merry Muthafuckin’ Christmas” is a self-aware gangsta-rap parody from the one of the godfather of the genre himself. E’s comical first verse is about getting head from a woman with visceral detail while interpolating “Jingle Bells.” High school locker room flips on popular classics gave us hilarious lines including “Oh what fun it is to nut while she’s sucking my dick.” Taking “12 Days Of Christmas” and making direct comparisons to illegal drug dealing only added more to its appeal.
G.O.O.D Music – “Christmas In Harlem”
Andre: Back in the G.O.O.D Friday days, we got a piece of Christmas heaven in the messy, apoplectic “Christmas In Harlem” featuring, seemingly, everyone. There was a familiarity to it that burst through. Was that Teyana Taylor or Beyonce? The chorus hinting at something more for the former child star. Jim Jones voice crept in reminding you of A Dipset Christmas along with pal Cam’ron. There was CyHi too, and Sean, who showed a bit more cheer than everyone else. He was aspirational and kind even then. All-in-all it was an unapologetic look at G.O.O.D’s hierarchy and madness, and, for the most part, the label has yet to cash-in on that enormous potential save Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise.
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Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, Bad Azz & Daz Dillinger – “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto”
https://youtu.be/mVkg5FM59NA
Ural:Christmas On Death Row could potentially be well regarded as one of the most jump-the-shark moments within the Golden Era of gangsta rap. However, the house that Suge Knight and Dr. Dre built created what could be considered the best Christmas album in Hip Hop. Opening up the project was the classic West Coast jam, “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto.” This isn’t the funky composition James Brown made famous during his heyday. “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto” is slowed G-Funk made Death Row by Nate Dogg’s gospel delivery. While similar thematically to Eazy E-’s “Merry Muthafuckin’ Christmas,” the rhymes are harder thanks to Snoop Dogg, Bad Azz and Daz Dillinger.
Ying Yang Twinz – Deck Da Club
Andre: Rounding out the list we have the Ying Yang Twinz “Deck Da Club,” which is a “top” Christmas song for another reason: it might be one of the worst Christmas songs of all-time. Christmas crunk has never been so terrible. The Ying Yang Twinz seemingly slobber all over the song, adding their gravelly tenors to a seasonal classic that they do not serve. The song stops and starts feverishly, and there is no real chorus to speak of. For all that’s awful about it, and there is a great deal, it’s also almost transformative in its awfulness. It is The Room of Hip Hop Christmas songs, and because of that is sure to develop a bizarre cult following if it hasn’t already.
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Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Ural Garrett is a Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
