NYS Music 202​0

Tag: christmas

  • Holiday Rapping: The Eight Rhymes of Christmas

    Christmas is here. Which means it’s time to deck the halls with bars of the holiday. So grab your cup of eggnog, your Santa hat, and enjoy this list of Christmas raps.

    Christmas Rap
    Remember the 80s?

    “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” by Tyler, the Creator.

    Inspired by the music and animation of Dr. Seuss’s “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Tyler took the reigns and composed a soundtrack to accompany the 2018 Universal Studios animated film The Grinch. Although a whole EP full of songs inspired by The Grinch can be found on Tyler, the Creator’s Spotify, something about Tyler’s typical cartoonishly deep vocal inflections make this song a true holiday standout.

    “Christmas in Harlem” by Kanye West featuring Teyana Taylor

    There’s something almost ironic about how Kanye, a man known for calling himself “Yeezus,” would release one of the 2010s most critically acclaimed Christmas songs. Originally released on December 17th, 2010, “Christmas in Harlem” brings us the best of both worlds around the holidays. Produced by Hit-Boy and originally released as part of Kanye’s GOOD Music series, “Christmas in Harlem” exhibits the raw talent West possesses when it comes to the meticulous process of arranging music.

    “Santa Clause Goes Straight To The Ghetto” by Snoop Dogg featuring Daz, Nate Dogg, Tray Deee, & Bad Azz

    Have you ever wanted to hear a gritty, G-Funk Christmas song that simultaneously critiques the modern commercialization of Christmas? Well, “Santa Clause Goes Straight to The Ghetto” is the song for you to hear this holiday season. Again, this song is a perfect blend of Snoop’s typical West Coast cool, calm, and collected rap flows while flipping the typical narratives driving Christmas songs. This song is sprinkled with social commentary and full of joyous Christmas cliches.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVkg5FM59NA

    “Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C.

    If there were ever to be a rap song synonymous with Christmas, it would be Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis.” This song may owe some of its notoriety to the hotly contested Christmas movie, Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie! ). Run D.M.C. trade-off shouted verses about stumbling across Santa in the park.

    “Christmas Rappin’ ” by Kurtis Blow

    For the next song on our list, we go back to the early days of rap when its popularity as genre was just becoming mainstream. Curtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’,” was released in 1979 and found instant success, capitalizing on two popular trends, rap and holiday music. “Christmas Rappin’,” was a product of two Billboard employees who recognized the potential for a hit song. They then enlisted Curtis Blow as the MC who would deliver this rendition of the Christmas classic “Visit from Saint Nick.”

    “Merry Muthaf****n Xmas” by Eazy-E featuring Menajahtwa, Buckwheat from the Lil Waskals, Will 1X, & Atban Klann

    Eazy-E isn’t referred to as one of the kings of gangsta rap for nothing, the twisted spin “Merry Muthaf****n Xmas” takes on Christmas music and is a prime example of E’s close ties to gang life growing up in Compton, CA. Everything about this song rings true to West Coast rap: the beat, the lyrical narratives Eazy-E and company explore, and, not to mention, the yuletide sampling and mentions of Santa that classify this otherwise raunchy cut as a Christmas song.

    “Nothing For Christmas” by Rae Sremmurd

    Rae Sremmurd’s “Nothing For Christmas” is the first song on our list that takes all the tropes and clichés of Christmas music and combines them with all the lackluster components of trap instrumentals. In a way, this song gives birth to a new musical genre – trap-mas music. And that alone gives this song an immense amount of bragging power.

    “Chi-Town Christmas” by Chance, The Rapper

    The most recently released song on this list, “Chi-Town Christmas” is perhaps one of the most emotionally potent tracks from Chicago-born artist Chance, the Rapper. Chance released a whole album’s worth of original Christmas music this past month featuring longtime collaborator Jerimiah. In “Chi-Town Christmas,” Chance once again takes center stage as the rap game’s family man and recites verses depicting a lowkey Christmas in Chicago. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Chance dabble in Christmas music. However, this is by far his most organic attempt.

  • Rob Mathes to hold online Holiday Concert Dec. 23

    Because of the pandemic, it seemed impossible for Rob Mathes to hold his annual holiday this year. The concert also took a hiatus in 2019 so that Mathes could work with Sting on his musical The Last Ship. Mathes and a generous team have worked to make sure that the 26th concert will take place this December. 

    Rob Mathes

    “The thought of yet another gap year for our annual Holiday concert in 2020 was depressing, but seemingly unavoidable,” said Mathes in a recent press release. “Then a few angels in the form of Deborah and Chuck Royce and Jane and Mike Peak arrived just in time. They agreed to put up some small honorariums for the musicians and crew so we could perform and film a concert with no audience and then stream it for free.” Everyone involved will practice social distancing to ensure safety.

    The concert will be taped at the First Congressional Church of Old Greenwich in Connecticut and hosted by Reverend Patrick Collins and Minister of Music Craig Scott Symons. Accompanied by a choir of Saints & Friends, Mathes and his band will play an hour of free music available for anyone. 

    The band will have Shawn Pelton on Percussion, Zev Katz on Acoustic Bass, Andy Snitzer on Tenor Sax, and Vaneese Thomas and James “D-Train” Williams on vocals. The hour-long show of audience favorites will hopefully bring Christmas cheer to everyone in this pandemic. Emmy winner Bob Conover will film and Grammy winner Rory Young will record and mix the concert. 

    Photo by Lisa Meloni.

    With great political unrest and a national health crisis, with it being very difficult, if not downright dangerous, to get in a room with family and friends this season, a love offering of music is being made possible!

    Rob Mathes

    The concert will air at 8PM on Wednesday, December 23 on Mathes’ YouTube channel. If you can’t make it then, the concert will be up online until New Year’s Day. It is free, but Mathes encourages audiences to donate to one of his favorite charities: Through the Eyes of Children.

    The charity, which Mathes has been supporting since 2003, is a nonprofit that teaches photography to vulnerable children. It allows these children not only to learn about art and photography, but to document their own lives and share their voices.

    Despite the pandemic’s difficulty, his Holiday Concert is not Mathes’ first project of this year. He produced and arranged five songs for the David Lynch Foundation’s Meditate America benefit which feature Graham Nash, Sting, Jim James, Kesha, Angelique Kidjo, Larkin Poe, and Elvis Costello. The socially-distant recorded tracks include a Gospel Choir, String and Horn sections and Rhythm Section featuring Steve Jordan on Drums, (Keith Richards, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Neville Brothers) and Larry Campbell on Guitars (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm).

    Rob Mathes

    Rob Mathes also directed the first live streamed show at the Kennedy Center post pandemic with Renee Fleming and Vanessa Williams. He has collaborated with producer Jake Sinclair on a Weezer record, and Sting and Italian pop star Zucchero on Sting’s 2021 song “September.” He also orchestrated and conducted the music for the upcoming movie musical In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and is currently in pre-production on a record with singer-songwriter Pete Muller. 

    Additionally, Mathes played a role in Robert Plant and Jimmy Page getting full copyright over “Stairway to Heaven.” Led Zepplin and its lawyers asked Mathes to join the team as a music expert because of his arrangement of the song in 2012.

    Catch the concert on Wednesday, December 23 at 8 on YouTube, and keep up with Rob Mathes on his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

  • Sly Fox and the Hustlers share “That Spirit of Christmas”


    Saratoga Springs’ Sly Fox and the Hustlers are currently in the studio completing a new album to be released in Spring 2021. Ahead of time, Fox has shared a Christmas tune, a cover of Ray Charles’ “That Spirit of Christmas,” designed to spread some love this holiday season.

    Released on December 17, along with the snowfall, the song channels the Ray Charles holiday classic with Fox’s blues roots through his vocals and guitar. The single will be available for purchase on all streaming sites and all proceeds will be donated to Toys for Tots in the Capital Region during the month of December. 

    Sly Fox Christmas

    Sly Fox shares some thoughts on the song:

    I’m one of those people that loves Christmas music, especially the classics but this one is my favorite! I’m a huge Ray Charles fan and it’s a cover of his song, “That Spirit of Christmas.” What makes it stand out to me (among all the great Christmas songs) is the soulful message of the song with an emphasis on spirituality, love, family and trying to sustain those good vibes throughout the year! 

    Fans of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will recall the song from the scene where Clark (Chevy Chase) is in the attic. The artwork for the song is Fox and his sister on Christmas morning at 5yrs old with his first guitar. For more music from Sky Fox and the Hustlers, follow them on Facebook.

  • Premiere: Paul Loren reminds us to “Hold On To Christmas”

    NYC crooner Paul Loren today releases his new holiday song, “Hold On To Christmas,” with an accompanying video is a wistful love letter to NYC. The song fits the holiday season this year just right, a gentle and passionate voice asking us to hold on, something we’ve all needed to do throughout this hectic 2020.

    Filmed walking throughout the city (socially-distanced of course), Loren strolls among Christmas trees, holiday decorations and ice skaters, reminding us that the simple pleasures in life can fill us with the holiday spirit.

    A native New Yorker, Paul was raised on a rich legacy of soul, classic pop, as well as the Great American Songbook, and in those musical idioms he feels most at home. Loren takes elements from early R&B, jazz and Brill Building pop, crafting his music with an ear towards timelessness.

    Loren released “We’ll be Together Again” in July, and previously his song “Gonna Take a Little Time”- filmed at an indoor shuffleboard hall in Brooklyn complete with tiki drinks and bowling shirts – premiered on Parade.com in 2019. Loren has performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and for Jennifer Lopez at her birthday gala.

    Leading a new generation of soulful crooners, Paul Loren is a singer, songwriter, producer and consummate entertainer.

    I started singing at 3 years old along with the little 45rpm records my mom would play and start ed playing piano at 4 years old. The voices I remember most and identify with are Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Sam Cooke, Sinatra, Aretha, Otis, and Tony Bennett. Growing up in New York, Billy Joel was also a big influence.

    Paul Loren

    The last few years have been filled with a series of breakthroughs for Paul as he performed on his first National Tour in support of Brendan James, opened for “The Temptations” as part of Stamford’s Summer Concert Series “Wednesday Night Live”, and sold out Joe’s Pub at the Public in NYC multiple times.