Writing on Medium, Larry Wallace shares a long-form piece on the first Christmas-themed hip-hop single, and the third hip-hop song released on a label, Kurtis Blow’s 1979 “Christmas Rappin'”.
Christmas Rappin’ lyrics from the article:
“And before he went, this fine old gent
Brought a gift with a sift through his big red bags
In the top or the bottom, he reached in and got ‘em
Toys for the boys, for the girls glad rags
And the grownups got some presents too
A new TV and a stere-oo
A new Seville ‘bout as blue as the sky
The best that money couldn’t buy
‘Cause money could never ever buy the feeling
The one that comes from not concealing
The way you feel about your friends
And this is how the story ends”
It’s not as sophisticated as Blow’s later works, but it doesn’t have to be; it’s a fun song full of Christmas cheer, and a great way to break up the monotony of our standard Christmas mixes.
Give the song a listen, and check out the article. If you’re interested in other less cheesy Christmas music, check out hip-hop scholar Jay Smooth’s “Holiday Survival Mix“!
Merry Christmas!
Posted by David Streever