If you’re not in the holiday spirit by now, a handful of Def Jam artists are here specifically to change that. In wake of the Christmas season, we’ve previously featured festive tracks from Chris Brown, Ari Lennox, and Sevyn Streeter. Now, we have 16 titles for you on Def The Halls, many of which put a modern twist on the songs of the season.
The 16-track project actually landed back in October, just in time for Halloween. However, seeing as it’s celebrating the rapidly approaching holiday, we figured now was a better time than ever to let it have a moment in the spotlight.
Mikhala Jené firstly opens things up on “Please Come Home For Christmas.” Later, we hear from her again on “This Christmas.” Another double appearance comes from Kendra Jae who assists on both “Under The Mistletoe” with AUGUST 08 and “BBC” with DaniLeigh.
Alessia Cara holds things down with “Make It To Christmas,” and Jhené Aiko is obviously a standout with her work on “Wrap Me Up.”
Afterward, we hear from Coco Jones on “Silver Bells,” Kidd Kenn and Pap Chanel on “Naughty,” and finally, AUGUST 08 closes things out with “Silent Night.”
Stream Def Jam’s Def The Halls compilation album on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, let us know which title is your favourite in the comments.
The music industry can be taxing on everyone who partakes in it, from artists to journalists and everyone in between. Unfortunately, the Hip-Hop community deals with additional issues that can make the music business even harder to stomach. On November 1, we learned of Takeoff’s passing, and in a year that has also taken away artists like PnB Rock and Trouble, many rappers were understandably distraught. Desiigner was one of those rappers.
“Yo, I’m done, I’m done, I’m done,” Desiigner lamented in a video response to Takeoff’s death. “Why do we fucking do this? I swear this shit ain’t nothing. I’m done [with] rap. It’s done, it’s done, it’s done, it’s done. Not to Takeoff, bro. It’s done.”
Desiigner’s reaction was harrowing and, more importantly, representative of the pain that many of us have felt all year long. For a moment, it appeared that the 25-year-old artist was ready to call it quits on his rap career. Thankfully, he did not because he still has a role to play in the Hip-Hop community. Like it or not, Desiigner — once touted as the crown prince of GOOD Music — is in Hip-Hop’s history books. And that’s not up for debate.
Thanks to the mid-2010s smash hit “Panda,” the New York-bred artist has a quintuple-platinum-certified record under his belt. In addition to those early career RIAA certifications, Desiigner also landed multiple appearances on Ye’s The Life of Pablo. His mentor heavily sampled “Panda” on “Pt. 2,” and Desiigner also appeared on the joyously chaotic “Freestyle 4.”
Desiigner’s presence on TLOP served as a huge co-sign from the artist formerly known as Kanye West. At the time, it was rare for Ye to feature GOOD signees, especially newer ones, on his albums. During his creative stretch from Yeezus to TLOP, Kid Cudi was the only recurring GOOD-affiliated artist on Ye’s solo efforts. Desiigner’s presence on TLOP broke that trend, and subsequently, his life changed forever.
(L-R) Desiigner and Pusha-T attend the FADER FORT presented by Converse during SXSW on March 16, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
Bringing youthful energy to the seasoned GOOD roster, Desiigner teamed up with his labelmates for “Champions.” The sensational posse cut was the first and last single for the long-awaited Cruel Winter compilation album, and six years later, it’s still a poignant reminder of what could have been.
Nevertheless, Desiigner’s infectious hook work on “Champions” further made him a shoo-in for the 2016 XXL Freshman Class. As expected, Desiigner made it on the XXL cover, appearing alongside industry leaders such as Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Anderson .Paak, and 21 Savage. Surprisingly, Desiigner was able to dominate a significant amount of the 2016 XXL Freshman buzz thanks to his unforgettable freestyle. After going viral for his trance-like freestyle, Desiigner delivered “Tiimmy Turner,” and the success of that single paved the way for his debut mixtape, New English. A couple of years later, he followed that project up with his debut EP, Life of Desiigner. Unfortunately, his official debut studio album never materialized during his tenure on GOOD Music.
Years removed from the record label that helped make him a worldwide phenomenon, the New York-bred rapper is in a good place. However, Desiigner has his sights set on “Bigger and Bigger” things in 2023. Following a flurry of fiery fourth-quarter singles, Desiigner recently joined HNHH for an exclusive 12 Days of Christmas interview. Throughout our conversation, the Grammy-nominated artist discussed his long-awaited debut album, major lifestyle changes, and his deep love for Christmas music. Furthermore, he shared with us insane details about Cruel Winter, and he also revealed his fondest GOOD Music memories.
Scroll down for Desiigner’s full 12 Days of Christmas interview, edited lightly for length and clarity.
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Desiigner joins HNHH for a enthusiastic 12 Days of Christmas Q&A.
HNHH: Today, you dropped “Bigger and Bigger.” How are you feeling about that?
Desiigner: Yo! Feeling amazing. Word man, I’m just now waking up man from the strip club. Just now, man. It was a vibe. It was cool man. I’m happy to drop some more super shit for y’all, for real. And just keeping it going. We supposed to have the video coming up in the next couple of days. Getting that shot, making sure it’s prepped up for y’all. Get that up, word up.
Bet. So were they playing “Bigger and “Bigger” in the club last night?
Yeah, word. They played that thing a couple of times. We was in there vibing. No funny, it had to get ran back.
I’m really feeling that one. Of the four most recent ones that you just dropped within the last month, I think that was my favorite one. That one and “Kilo.” I really liked “Star In The Room,” too, but we’ll get to that. Let’s talk about “Kilo” with Slim Jxmmi. Tell me how that one came to be. How’d you two connect?
It was a situation where he was flying into town. He flew in LA, right as I was coming. So when I went to the crib, I told Kyle, KT, and everybody, ‘I’m on my way out.’ When I came back, they was already on the phone with Slim Jxm. They was like, ‘Yo, Slim on his way.’
So soon as I came in, you know, in the studio, I heard the beat. Beat sounded crazy lit, so I was like I need to jump on it. Once I jumped on it, Slim was already walking in the studio. He was tired, you know. Bro was mad tired. He fell asleep, and then out of nowhere, he just got up. Man was on a pen and paper, just writing and getting lit. We partied all night. It was a great celebration after that one. It was cool.
He came correct on that one. It was very reminiscent of the mid-2010s, like how he used to be. I guess since we haven’t had a lot of Rae Sremmurd music recently, it felt really good.
Word, no kizzy. Slim? He go hard, man. We’re working on a project right now. Slim got some shit, man. Definitely, definitely. I feel like he put put some shit on that verse, for sure for sure. That’s a vibe, you feel me?
Gotchu. Did he let you listen to any of Sremmlife 4 by chance?
Ah, nah. I listened to Sremmlife 4, man. But when he was in Saudi Arabia, he was talking about me and him coming back and working in Atlanta. We gon’ put some work in, you know what I mean. There might be Desiigner x Sremmlife vibes, I don’t know man.
That’s exciting. Y’all definitely both got that infectious energy. Well, let’s talk about the other singles. Like I mentioned you dropped four singles in a matter of a month. What inspired you to go on this run?
I just wanted to just give it to y’all. I feel like the game has changed. The game ain’t like when artists could just give the supporters one single and keep driving and pushing. I feel like the game has changed so much. Y’all just want to hear more music and hear your homeboys just dropping heat on a spree. I just love the idea of moving with my brand now. I wanted to have been doing that since the beginning, when I was with Def Jam. But when were you dealing with certain major labels, they just don’t see it like that.
Like they ain’t understand the SoundCloud wave, when we were just going on SoundCloud and throwing that thing up. This was before they were doing the subscriptions, and you could be able to tap in with your supporters. Get a video out later on that week or whatever. Like you could just make sure you could keep it going for your shows and stuff. So definitely, getting back on this was something I always wanted to do. It’s super fun now, super fun. I’m moving like that rather than just trying to promote a record all day. I can promote it and let my people promote it, and then when I go to this club or go to my shows, I can keep banging ‘em non-stop.
I wanted to have been doing that since the beginning, when I was with Def Jam. But when were you dealing with certain major labels, they just don’t see it like that.
Nah, definitely. It helps build up momentum. When I was going track by track, I was like yeah, ‘He’s getting into a groove.’ With that said, each of them has a different vibe to it, especially “Star In The Room.” I would say is the most different of all of them.
Appreciate it bro.
No worries, man. I was looking at the credits. I’m just like a nerd with the music stuff, so I be looking at the credits. You’re credited as a producer on “Star In The Room,” “My Brodie,” “Kilo,” and “Bigger and Bigger.” Have you been getting behind the boards more?
Definitely, man. Produced them, for sure for sure. Being able to put certain things and touches when we in the room and seeing how it’s gonna come out [is important]. I just got that type of air, and I love being part of the lyrics as well as being a part of the production.
Desiigner performs at It’s Time For Hip Hop In NYC: Brooklyn at Brooklyn Army Terminal on August 19, 2021 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Interesting. What made you get into production? Or have you been producing, and we just didn’t really know?
[Laughs] I did “Tiimy Turner” with Mike Dean. Y’all probably just don’t really know. Yeah, Mike Dean did the pianos and stuff at the end. He was dope, and he was impressed that I even had some beat cadence like that. Dean was like, ‘Yo, man, that was fire.’ He liked it. And so he was like, ‘Yo, bro, I ain’t gon’ lie — you go hard. But I’mma put some saucy on it for you.’ And from then on after “Tiimmy Turner,” we were locked. Our relationship built after that, from that creation we made.
That’s dope. Well, since you’ve already dropped these singles, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2022? Because I know you’re not finna stop.
Oh yeah, man. Nonstop. Word, what else we got planned? We got this video coming out, like I said for “Bigger and Bigger.” Definitely tryna hear about some merch. I’ll probably have some Christmas vibes or some coming up for y’all. Going into 2023, man, we just going hard. I’m thinking about restaurants I want to open up. Thinking of live centers with games where kids could come over there and stream live. I’m thinking about a whole bunch of things. I’m putting it together step-by-step, but it’s all gonna get accomplished.
New Color. The new album’s called New Color. I’m working on it right now.
Nah, for sure. Well, one of the things that I think a lot of people may be interested in is your debut album. You’re kind of like a path similar to Jay Electronica, with how it’s been a long wait for your debut.
Yeah, word man.
New English was a mixtape.
Yeah.
Life of Desiigner was an EP.
Yeah.
So yeah, we’re waiting, man!
New Color. The new album’s called New Color. I’m working on it right now. It’s fire. I got some features on it already. It’s lit. I’m just putting it together. Shout out to a couple of great producers, like Rich Skillz, ATL [Jacob]. You know what I’m saying, people like that.
New Color, you said, right?
Yeah, New Color, man.
Gotcha. And what has that process been like putting it together? Because it’s been a long time coming. Does it feel like you’ve got a lot of like weight going into it? Are you just having a good time with it?
Um, I feel like it’s cool. Even with me just thinking about the color, like the color of the cover. I’m really trying to bring out a new color, something that we haven’t seen before. Bringing that and making it aesthetically match with the music and having that paired with the music right is gonna be dope.
Gotcha. Yeah, that sounds lit. Listening to you talk now compared to when I was watching interviews from when you first came out, I can see your growth. You’re 25 now, so how are you approaching the game differently from when you were 19?
I’m just approaching the game more comfortably, you feel me. P Diddy told me like, ‘Yo, it’s gonna take like five years before you get really comfortable in the shit.’ And word, it just took that. That and yoga, breathing, and understanding balance in life. When you get in the fast lane, you just got to understand that balance. It’s not the same as when you was a kid and you could just say, “Ayo, I’m outside. I’m gonna go turn up, and we will come to the crib and go to sleep. You really got to have this shit organized. You got to make sure you got your stuff together. You’re growing up, maturing, and you are a business. So yeah, become more mature and understand that this is given. I’m appreciating it and knowing that it was given to me. I’m just moving like that, you feel me?
Yeah. So how did the transition from like Def Jam and GOOD Music to independence influence your maturity and music as well?
There were executive decisions that I had to make. I had to adopt the standpoint of whatever I’m saying right now, I’m standing on it. And I gotta make some out of it. I can’t it and then be going back to the hood. That ain’t gonna happen. I got to make sure whatever I’m doing right now is gonna push me 20 steps ahead. Thinking like that and knowing that I had to make decisions like that in my career and my life always kept me [focused]. Breathing. balance. Vibes like that.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 28: Kanye West (L) and Desiigner attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Speaking on what you just said about saying stuff and standing on it, I have a question for you about the “Letter to Ye” song that you dropped last year. In that song, you rapped, ‘They let me through the doors/now it’s time to live it up.’ And you’ve been standing on that. You’ve definitely been going hard this year. But tell me about the whole idea and conceptualization behind “Letter to Ye.”
I really just wanted to speak about it. I felt like I never really got to talk to Ye at that time. We met each other, but we hadn’t really like met each other. We greeted each other, but we hadn’t really met each other, you feel what I’m saying? I wanted to meet him and really speak to him and understand each other. Because that’s the type of artist I am. Every artist works differently. I like to have conversations with people and build, and as we talk, I’m generating the song. It really wasn’t like that with him.
It was more like, I’m signed to bruh, and bruh was just like, ‘We in the stu, do what you do.’ I wanted to hear something, like bro, you’re Kanye West. I wanted to hear some of that Kanye vibe that’ll inspire me to [go off]. But yeah, moving with Ye, it’s helped me. It’s helped me focus on that thing that I got. Become more mature and know that I do have the executive decisions, again. I gotta make sure what I’m standing is straight because ain’t nobody around gonna lead you. You got to make sure what you’re doing is sturdy.
Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, you stood on what you said in “Letter to Ye.’ You went crazy this year. Even at the beginning, you dropped “BAKIN” with Slushii and DJ Whoo Kid.
Word up, man. Shout out to Bob Saget. Yeah, RIP the goat.
How did that connection come about? I know Snoop was in the video, but like, was that connection really through Snoop Dogg?
Not that connection was through DJ Whoo Kid. Whoo Kid knew Bob Saget.
Oh, okay. I was not expecting that answer.
Yeah, it was a vibe man. Whoo Kid, Bob Saget, man it was all chill. He was over there turned up too, slapping the booty on a stripper and all that. [laughs]
Ah, RIP man.
Word up, man RIP the GOAT. Full House, man. If anybody don’t know Bob Saget is, if you’ve seen Full House, you’ve seen that guy man.
Man, I used to watch that show all the time on Nick at Nite. It’s so crazy looking back. But someone else who we lost this is Takeoff. I mean, we’ve lost so many people this year, it’s really tragic. But with Takeoff, specifically, you had a reaction to his passing online. I know you’ve worked with Quavo on champions, but like I’m you’ve probably worked with all of the Migos behind the scenes and we just haven’t known it. So what was your relationship like with Takeoff?
Dope, bro. It was amazing. My first time coming out to Atlanta, I went to go see them. I took my niggas out there. We was chilling. It was a movie meeting bro. Next time, we always linked up. I can’t say every time, but bros know the vibes. Those were my boys before “Bad and Bougee” blew up. I was over there chilling with them, Teyanna and Shump. We all had that family understanding.
The Migos and Teyanna were like my go-to’s in the beginning of the game for me. Even towards the end of bro life, like at Hennessy’s birthday party. Me and Takeoff, we were over there chillin’ and talking about how we shrooming it. So yeah, it was that type of bond with my boy. Every time I seen my boy, it was good vibes. Sturdy, sturdy. Heavy in the A. And he was one to talk like, ‘Yeah, you got it twin. Yeah, you got it.’ 100%
Man, rest in peace to the Rocket for real.
No funny. We taking off forever.
Speaking of the connection between you and Migos, let’s go back to “Champions.” That song was just such a big moment. But on the real, was Cruel Winter ever actually close to becoming a real thing?
Yeah, honestly, it really was. Honestly, we was in studio, and we was working on it. Ty Dolla, all of us. Word, Nicki. Yeah, everybody was on that joint man. It was about to be dope. And Ye was just doing his thing. Ye had things, [grunts] other things he was working on at the time, and it just never got finished up. But word man, we still got our verses in our phones and a lot of verses in them studio files.
Ah man, it always sucks to hear stuff like that. I was kind of hoping you were gonna say, ‘Nah, it was just in the early stages.’
[Laughs] You just don’t know when it comes down to Kanye, man. Bro might just say, ‘Yo, let’s all get back in the studio for something.’
I don’t know for certain, but I think I was the first one to start with the seven, in the gang. I wanted to give y’all something with different vibes. Then when I heard bro was doing sevens, I’m like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy.’
Speaking of that — I’ve been having this theory for a long time as well — but was L.O.D. kind of Ye’s unofficial start to the album every week thing in 2018? Because that project, Valee’s project, and 070 Shake’s project were all like six or seven tracks like the rest of the GOOD albums that came out that summer. Was GOOD Music just obsessed with like, short projects at the time? Or what?
[Laughs] You know what it was, man? I don’t know for certain, but I think I was the first one to start with the seven, in the gang. I wanted to give y’all something with different vibes. Then when I heard bro was doing sevens, I’m like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy.’ The whole team was working on the same frequency. Since we’d be around each other so much at that time. We would just pick up each other’s things. Like I’m doing seven, and then you’ll hear that Kanye is dropping and doing an album with seven songs next week. It was like, ‘Okay!’ Everybody was just moving in that moment, and we was doing the same shit. It’s crazy how you can share ideas like that.
Yeah, that’s really interesting. One more question about GOOD. When looking back at the entire experience you had with that label, what was your favorite memory?
That Summer Jam moment. I’m not gonna lie, bro. No cap. It was me Travis, and all of us on stage. We were supposed to have a GOOD Music tour coming.
(L-R) Desiigner, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, and Kanye West perform at Hot 97’s Summer Jam 2016 at MetLife Stadium on June 5, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
That would have been crazy.
Crazy. It was about to get crazy, but something happened where couldn’t do it. But them times when we were performing together were the best. Even that night after the time when we flooded out the city. Yo Gotti came out. Qua came out. Travis. Lil Yachty. They was talking about it on like Complex, how we just turned up and was jumping in the crowd. It was a movie, bro. To see all of us in one spot, but it’s just a whole nother party.
That’s beautiful. You could probably write a book with all the stuff that you have witnessed and just how insane that whole time period was. I definitely feel like mid to late 2010s was a different time.
Word, man, it was. It was turnt. It was sturdy, man. No funny. It was good vibes with everybody coming out. We just wanted to turn up, man. We were more in the club action around that time.
Speaking of clubs. You appeared in the video for a very popular club song last year. “She Make It Clap.” When I was watching it for the first time — because I actually was writing about for work — I was like, ‘Is that Desiigner?’ So what’s the story behind that? How did you end up in that video?
Oh, that’s my brother, man. Me and Soulja be on Live frequently. We be talking, that’s my boy Draco. I had to pull up on my boy. We linked up, he hit me in the DM and was like, ‘Yo D, pull up on the video.” He’s been fucking with me since I was a kid. I’ve been fucking with him, of course, since we was kids. So I was like, ‘Aight, bet bro.’ It was like me and my older brother, just chilling out.
He put me on things that he was doing. And it’s like, Soulja get bread bro. I ain’t even gon’ lie. He got so much shit he be doing. I like that shit. Being around bro, he be putting me on things.
No cap, I feel like he’s kind of like the rap Ray J. Both of them always got some type of venture going on.
You feel me? [laughs]
So with all these iconic artists that we’ve mentioned, who would you say are some of your favorite people that you like collaborating with? And who are you still trying to collaborate with in the future?
I like how me and Soulja be collaborating. Cause we be chilling. It be jokes, it be laughing. We can play the game all while making mad shit. And Jay Critch. Pharrell. I love me and Pharrell collaborated. Damn, Rick Ross. I got so many people, man, and I don’t want to miss any names. But heck yeah, I love when me and Swizz Beatz collaborate. The energy with Swizz Beatz was different. So many dope legends. When you’re around the legends and they’re working, it’s a whole nother vibe. I love being around the GOATs and the young up-and-coming artists. Lil TJay, that’s my lil bro. When I’m around the young guys, it feels good to see them being in the space where I was at right before I blew. Seeing that shit never gets old.
I wasn’t the kid who got everything on Christmas that I wanted. And I ain’t never asked for much because I didn’t think we could get it all. I was a kid with a little tree, big Christmas.
Gotchu, respect. Well, I got some Christmas questions for you since this is our 12 Days of Christmas thing. You celebrate Christmas?
Aye, word man. Little tree, big Christmas.
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Oh man, really just mackin’ out, being with my homeboys, being with family, and just chilling Like I said, I was a kid with a little tree, big Christmas. So just having that mindset of wanting to see us all chill. I wasn’t the kid who got everything on Christmas that I wanted. And I ain’t never asked for much because I didn’t think we could get it all. I just wanted to make sure I can just be happy and chill out.
No, I like that. This is the first time I’ve ever heard that — little tree, big Christmas. I like that though. Well, what’s your go-to when it comes to Christmas music? Like who are you playing first?
Oh man, son. [Sings “Jingle Bell Rock]. But we playing everything. Michael Jackson, we listening to that Mariah Carey. You know she gives the good Christmas vibes every year. Honestly, no funny shit, I listen to everybody, man. My house is old. My moms is 65, and pops is 66. So it’s just a vibe, you know.
Yeah, they got the best Christmas music to be honest with you.
You feel me! Word up. We was listening to the Isley Brothers, man. Before you know it, by the time it’s about six o’clock, Isley Brothers was on. Earth, Wind & Fire done got played!
[laughs] Then the James Brown creeps in.
The boy James Brown! Can’t forget the big stepper, the grandfather of this shit for sure.
Well, I’m curious. Since you have like a distinct voice, have you ever given any thought to like doing a Christmas song or Christmas album of your own? I’m thinking something like DMX’s “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” would be crazy.
I’ve thought about it, for sure. Definitely, after X put out that album for Christmas, I thought about something like that.
Gotcha. Well, what’s the word? Is it something that you think you’re gonna make eventually?
Come on! Come on, man! I might just gotta put together right now. Drop a little something on the SoundCloud, take you back there real quick.
We can’t hoard everything, bro. We become hoarders and try to collect everything, thinking we’re like leveling up on material. But as a person, your mind and your mental is everything that you need.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02: Desiigner attends the boohooMAN x SwaeLee Launch Party at Casita Hollywood on November 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for boohooMAN)
One more Christmas-related question for you. Even with all of the fun and festive stuff that comes with Christmas, this time of the year can also be really like sad for a lot of people. When watching some of your recent interviews, I noticed how you were talking about taking care of your mental health following Takeoff’s passing and your homies’ passing around the same time. What are some mental health practices, tricks, or resources that you would suggest for people who may be struggling mentally during this holiday season?
My advice for people at this time is to really enjoy your life beyond these material ‘needs.’ Really enjoy what you got and what was originally given to you, and that’s your fresh air, your breath, your legs. Really take the time to embrace that, you know what I mean. If you’re around people, hopefully y’all share that y’all care about each other that day.
Tell each other how much y’all care about each other that day because — like you said, bro — we lost people towards the end of the year. We lost brothers; we lost friends. And it’s real. People need to understand that we got to share these times. When you with your homie, explain how dope bro is. Tell your friend that they’re smart, you know. Because you don’t know when the last time we might be able to see each other. Even with us having this conversation, it’s the last time we gon’ say it with this type of energy again, so just really appreciate things in time.
We can’t hoard everything, bro. We become hoarders and try to collect everything, thinking we’re like leveling up on material. And you gotta just level up with your relationships, your time, you. Understanding yourself, and that’s when you can just tap back into this realm and be like, ‘I want this, I want that.’ But as a person, your mind and your mental is everything that you need.
Respect. It’s been great talking to you, and I appreciate you taking the time. One more question before you go. What do you want fans to know about Desiigner going into 2023?
Oh, man, we go up. We getting [sings] “Bigger and Bigger!” Word man, we getting bigger and bigger man. So stay tuned. We got merchandise dropping, new jackets keeping us warm outside in Desiigner fabric. We got restaurants, like I said, dropping. I got gaming streaming libraries that I’m trying to open up for the kids so they can stream there and link up there. You know, more places where young men can go and get our knowledge and stuff. I feel like our knowledge gets lost. I’m tryna find ways to for men to learn something without trying to incorporate violence so much.
Preciate you again for your time, man. It really has been great. Stay safe and enjoy the holidays.
We’re nearly halfway through December, which means Christmas is officially less than two weeks away. While you’re busy preparing for the holidays by setting up your tree, baking cookies, shopping and wrapping presents, your favourite artists have been covering some festive classics for you to stream.
The latest starlet to help spread the holiday cheer is none other than Sevyn Streeter. For her part, she’s offering up a beautiful rendition of “The Christmas Song,” complete with production from Eric Hudson.
In the accompanying music video, the 36-year-old sings in front of a grand piano. While Lonny Berreal plays, she shines in a sultry white dress.
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire / Jack Frost nipping at your nose,” her voice rings out over the first few bars. “Yuletide carols being sung by a choir / And folks dressed up like Eskimos.”
As Vibe notes, this is the first we’ve heard from Streeter since she previously shared “23” back in September. Prior to that, she worked with DIXSON on “CHERRY SORBET.”
Elsewhere this year, the Florida native gave us the deluxe cut of her Drunk Wordz Sober Thoughtz album. Throughout the 20-song tracklist, she connects with artists like Lavi$h, Lucky Daye, Jeremih, and BIA.
Some of the project’s most successful titles include “Guilty” with Chris Brown and A$AP Ferg, as well as “End Up.”
Even after a busy year, rumour has it that the “It Won’t Stop” hitmaker is preparing a new album for arrival in 2023.
Stream Sevyn Streeter’s cover of “The Christmas Song” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Additionally, find more of our recent R&B favourites on our weekly playlist update here.
Quotable Lyrics:
And so I’m offering this simple phrase To kids from one to ninety-two Although it’s been said many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you
‘Tis the season for holiday music. Even if you don’t celebrate holidays, it is hard to deny to warm feeling holiday music brings. R&B singer Ari Lennox is the latest in a long line of musicians to release a cover of their favorite festive jams.
Instead of following the footsteps of tradition, Lennox opted for a sultry soul rendition of the play, The Sound Of Music‘s most popular tune, “My Favorite Things.”
The “POF” singer did not hold back any pressure as she smoothly belted out the track’s mantra-inspired lyrics. With strength and precision, Lennox brings together the song’s classic element with a pop of soulful flair.
The song, originally written by Oscar Hammerstein with composition by Richard Rodgers, has become a staple across the music industry, not just musical theater. Most recently, in 2019, pop singer Ariana Grande sampled the track on her single “7 Rings.” The interpolation was heard in the song’s opening stanza, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles / Girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble/ Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines / Buy myself all of my favorite things.”
It is nearly impossible to miss the mark with “My Favorite Things,” but Lennox’s cover is in a league of its own, and fans online agree.
Ari Lennox making her own version of my favorite things from the sound of music feels like she know me personally
Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys is keeping her holiday spirit going. After performing at the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in November, Keys released her first Christmas album, Santa Baby. The songwriter stopped by The Late Show with host Stephen Colbert to share the news of the project with a live performance of the title track.
Sporting a posh white floor-length faux fur and statuesque gold sequined body suit, Keys took the stage to belt out the classic tune. Playing into her signature R&B vocal delivery, Keys still managed to sprinkle in the cabaret stylings of the song’s originator, Eartha Kitt. Keys, a trained pianist, opted out of playing to focus on her vocal performance while house musicians handled the instrumentation.
She also delivered a bonus performance of “Please Come Home For Christmas.”
Before her performance, the musician sat down with Colbert to discuss why she dedicated to the record the album, to which she replied, “It was time.”
The pair also discussed her past collaboration with singer Brandi Carlile. Carlisle recently covered folk icon Joni Mitchell’s Blue album as a tribute to the singer. When asked if there’s an artist’s album she would love to cover, Keys answered, “I feel like if I were to pick one, it would probably have to be Songs In The Key Of Life.”
Keys has, on numerous occasions, expressed her admiration for revered musician Stevie Wonder. Keys continued, “I tell you what, it wouldn’t be easy though. It would not be easy. That would be hard because there’s nobody who can play like Stevie Wonder. Period. End of story. You can try as hard as you can, but you’re not going to get that cord exactly right. But that would be amazing.”
Watch Keys’ performances above and her interview below.
Santa Baby is out now via Alicia Keys Records. Get it here.
Though Ari Lennox’s 2022 started out on a chaotic note, things have certainly turned around for the R&B diva in recent weeks. After previously sharing her long-awaited age/sex/location sophomore album in September, she’s back again with more music for her fans.
While her latest arrival isn’t an original song, it does find the Dreamville hitmaker putting her spin on a holiday classic – “My Favorite Things.”
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens / Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,” she croons the classic lyrics. “Brown paper packages tied up with strings / These are a few of my favorite things.”
Listeners have been undeniably loving Lennox’s sultry vocals on her newest release. “Ari literally has the perfect voice for Christmas songs… The soulful way,” one YouTube user pointed out.
“Ari could sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to me and I’m going to put it on repeat,” someone else joked. “Ummm I need her to do a whole Christmas album,” another person wrote. “I’m going to put it on repeat.”
As she was promoting the song on Instagram, Lennox left a sweet message for her followers. “Hey my loves!!” she began. “I want to give you something special for being so good to me this year.”
The comment section on that post has similarly been flooded with people begging the “Pressure” vocalist to drop off an entire holiday album. It remains unclear if she has any future plans to craft such a project, but our fingers are certainly crossed.
Stream Ari Lennox’s cover of “My Favorite Things” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, make sure to let us know what your favourite holiday song is down in the comments.
Quotable Lyrics:
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver-white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favorite things
No matter what you did on Christmas, can it top a karaoke party at Lizzo’s house? Sure, you might’ve had a golden glazed ham or a feast of seven fishes with the fam, but where does rank next to tequila shots and matching jammies with Lizzo? And even though Lizzo might’ve made herself up as a Christmas Grinch last week, she proved at her party that she’s more like the reformed version of the Grinch who gets down with all of Whoville in the end.
At Casa de Lizzo on Christmas night, the soon-to-be guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race hosted an intimate affair with friends and karaoke. In a video series that she posted on Instagram, she begins by singing Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” in front of a gigantic karaoke projector screen. She closes it out singing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and she’s doing exactly that, belting the lyrics “Snap out to reality, oh there goes gravity!” with perhaps a few of those tequila shots in her system.
But midway through the Instagram post, we hear her singing a song called “Mrs. Grinch,” with lyrics that are a callback to the captions from the Grinch photoshoot that she posted last week. Some basic internet sleuthing, indicates that “Mrs. Grinch,” is actually a song by Shelby Swain, who has been Lizzo’s hairstylist for years. It’s definitely a Christmas banger and had we known about it earlier, it definitely would’ve been included in our roundup of “Best New Holiday Music That You’ll Actually Want To Listen To.”
Watch Lizzo’s Christmas karaoke party clips on Instagram above and listen to Shelby Swain’s “Mrs. Grinch” below.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Every year we hear a lot of the same classic holiday songs. There’s no denying the holiday power of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” or DMX’s “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” But bless the artists who keep pushing the holiday music envelope and are giving us new tunes to break up the monotony of the season. So with that, these were the songs, albums, and more that stole the show this holiday season.
There I Ruined It’s Mariah Carey x Twisted Sister Christmas Mash-Up
You didn’t think you were gonna get through this list without a Mariah Carey song, did you? So we’ll get it out of the way right now, but it’s not what you think. The folks at the There I Ruined It YouTube channel present some of the most unpredictable mash-ups of songs. Think Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” expertly collided with a K-Pop band. For the holiday season, however, they have taken the liberty of mashing up Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” with Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take it” in dedication to “the warriors of Christmas retail during another Mariah Carey Season.” It’s the stuff that holiday heavy metal dreams are made of. I wonder if Mariah’s gotten wind of this one yet? While she’d probably be repulsed, she’d certainly applaud the fact that the song is part of the “Un-Ruin Christmas” fundraiser for Toys For Tots. Donate here.
HAIM’s Reboot of Adam Sandler’s “The Hanukkah Song”
The Sandman created a timeless joint back in his SNL days with “The Hanukkah Song,” but who better to give it a re-fresh than Los Angeles’ most famous trio of Jewish sisters, Haim? But you know what the funniest thing is about this song? It’s the little differences. Maya Rudolph, Japanese Breakfast, and Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National kick off the tune’s laundry list of famous Jews, then instead of naming who “eats together at the Carnegie Deli” (a la Sandler’s original), Este, Alana, and Danielle swap in LA institution “Canter’s Deli.” The Haim version has a distinct knack for including prevalent pop culture personalities and lines like “Doja Cat’s half-Jewish, Chalamet’s half too. Put ‘em both together, what a fine-looking Jew!” would make the Sandman proud. The big payoff comes at the end of the clip, when we find out that the video released during Hanukkah, is actually a clever ruse to tease their 2022 tour.
The LCD Soundsystem Holiday Special Featuring the All My Friends Sitcom
If you hadn’t heard yet, the Omicron coronavirus variant forced LCD Soundsystem to cancel the final three shows of their 20-night residency at New York City venue Brooklyn Steel. It’s definitely the prudent move given the circumstances in NYC right now, but rest assured, you can celebrate with LCD Soundsystem on Christmas week by watching their brand new holiday special. The LCD Soundsystem Holiday Special is part concert and part LCD sitcom, and the sitcom is directed by comedic genius Eric Wareheim. It stars Wareheim as James Murphy, alongside Macaulay Culkin, Aparna Nancherla, Luenelle, and more. It airs on December 22nd via Amazon Music here and the trailer below is can’t miss stuff.
Jhené Aiko – “Wrap Me Up”
A holiday love song from Aiko, “Wrap Me Up” opens with jingle bells and a harp as she hopes to spend the holiday season with a lover by the fire. Where a lot of holiday pop comes across as an over-produced year-end formality, Aiko’s gorgeous voice is undeniable here. She evokes the imagery of the sights, sounds, and feel of the holiday season as she sings:
“Every December you’d make sure you’re here
So I pray as soon as I wake
That we spend today up under each other
‘Cause there’s nothing more I need
Than you here with me, no gift would be better”
A Very She & Him Christmas Deluxe Edition
There is no album I’ve played more this holiday season than the now classic and officially ten years old holiday album from the She & Him duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Deschanel’s voice has this built-in nostalgia that makes us think about her singing Christmas carols in the movie Elf, an iconic modern Christmas tale if there ever was one. But I digress, because the deluxe version of A Very She & Him Christmas comes with new bonus material like a cover of Madonna’s “Holiday,” and a splendid take on “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” that’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. Also, all proceeds from album sales benefit 826 National, which funds creative writing programs for kids. Get it at Bandcamp.
Nathaniel Rateliff and Jon Batiste’s Video Magic On “Run Rudolph Run”
Chuck Berry’s raucous “Run Rudolph Run” always seems to call to mind the Home Alone scene when the McAllister family is running for dear life through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport as they attempt to barely make their flight to Paris. Now the soul and folk rock and roll of Nathaniel Rateliff meets the dizzying multi-instrumentalism of 11-time 2022 Grammy Award nominee Jon Batiste on this new version. Debuted at the end of a Late Night With Stephen Colbert episode (where Batiste serves as the bandleader), they totally do Berry’s bluesy song justice. But the way they filmed their video is eye-popping to say the least, as our eyes are drawn to multiple Jons and Nathaniels playing the song. Watch it below.
Gucci Mane and 1017’s So Icy Christmas mixtape
Gucci Mane has put his East Atlanta Santa series to bed and now has the So Icy Christmas mixtape on deck featuring artists from his 1017 records label. 1017 Signees like Big Scarr, BigWalkDog, Enchanting, and Hotboy Wes grace tracks on the album that don’t necessarily fit into the holiday theme, but it’s the Christmas bangers that Gucci Mane himself is on that stand out best. Album opener “Street Ni66a Christmas” is produced by long-time collaborator Zaytoven. “All I Want For Christmas” is a street rap Christmas carol for the ages, where Gucci Mane spits: “All I want for Christmas is my Glock with the extension / A handgun with some monkey nuts, that’s all I want for Christmas.” He then takes a moment to say a prayer for Young Dolph on the Metro Boomin and Zaytoven-produced tribute track, “Long Live Dolph.” As far as holiday music traditions in rap go, Gucci Mane might as well be on his way to sainthood.
Kurstin x Grohl: The Hanukkah Sessions 2021
Picking up on the tradition they started last year, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and super-producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Foos) posted a YouTube video of them performing a cover of a song by a Jewish artist on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. It was something to look forward during Hanukkah with Grohl (not Jewish) and Kurstin (Jewish) performing songs like Van Halen’s “Jump” (shout out David Lee Roth,) “Copacabana” with Grohl doing his best Barry Manilow impression, and Amy Winehouse’s “Take The Box,” with Grohl’s daughter Violet on lead vocals.
Jucee Froot As A Raunchy Grinch In The “Christmas List” Video”
Christmas just got a little more ratchet with Jucee Froot’s latest…errrr…holiday video. The rapper tips her Santa cap to the magic of Dr. Seuss with her provocative Grinch costume that spares no detail (all the way down to the green body paint. Uproxx Hip-Hop Editor Aaron Williams said this one best: “Her daughter’s also in the video, which lends another layer of heightened absurdism to the proceedings as Jucee reels off a Christmas list that will probably not only land her on the naughty list, but also send Santa to the doghouse for a week should Mrs. Claus peek over his shoulder while reading it.” Smash that play button below.
Beach Bunny – “Christmas Caller”
Holidays or not, this is just a damn great song and a welcome addition to the indie rock holiday music canon. Singer Lili Trifilio has a knack for oh so sweet hooks and she rides a poppy guitar hook on this one while delivering sugar cookie and cinnamon spice dusted “doo doo doos.”
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s possible the song won’t stay on top for much longer, though. Over the past few weeks, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is Now” has been making its now-annual climb back up the Hot 100. It was No. 3 on last week’s chart, and now it’s up to No. 2. If the song does make it to No. 1 on the chart dated December 25 (the final Hot 100 of 2021), it would have topped the chart in three consecutive years and become the only song to ever go No. 1 in four separate years.
As far as Christmas music, Carey’s hit isn’t alone in the top 10. Returning to the space from last week are Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 3, Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” at No. 5, and Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” at No. 6. Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” is new to the top 10 this week at No. 10, rounding out the five holiday songs in the region this week.
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