It's Christmas Time, officially. Not because Thanksgiving has come and gone. Not because New York's annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony takes place at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday. And not because December is literally just two days away. It's now, finally, Christmas because DMX said so.
Well, not in so many words. But in the spirit of the season, the 46-year-old rapper has shared his holiday cheer with all of his fans by dropping his very own "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" cover.
The former Ruff Ryders rapper released his rendition of the holiday classic on Spotify Wednesday, laced over an old-school hip-hop beat, jingling bells and, of course, a couple of DMX's infamous "Come on! Come on!" ad-libs.
It's no secret that DMX holds a soft spot for dear Rudolph. He first shared his love of the reindeer that helped save Christmas (and Santa's reputation) during an interview with Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club in 2012. While visiting the radio show, the "X Gon' Give It To Ya" rapper was asked to deliver a remix of the classic Johnny Marks carol, and he merrily obliged. Using a desk top as his beatbox, DMX went on to rap the holiday song—listing off Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen—without even needing to pre-read the lyrics showrunners had printed out for him.
The video of DMX's impromptu rap went viral almost instantly, and in the five years since the remixed "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" has become a staple Christmas carol for hip-hop heads and young people looking to irritate their families during the holidays. In fact, the video of DMX's "Rudolph" break down has been viewed more than 4 million times since he first spit bars for The Breakfast Club.
DMX's new recording of "Rudolph" appears on the "Spotify Singles: Christmas" playlist. The playlist includes a roster of artists covering favorite holiday tunes, including Miley Cyrus' "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Demi Lovato's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and Wyclef Jean's "Holiday Greeting."
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more
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