What’s up, dudes? It was December 24th on Hollis Ave in the dark! I’ve got Anthony Caruso from ‘Tis the Podcast with me to talk about the Run DMC classic “Christmas in Hollis”! We get into all of it: lascivious Santa samples, lyrical eggs, synthesized breakdowns, etc.
Synopsis
When Bill Adler asked Run-DMC to contribute to A Very Special Christmas, they refused. The album was a promotional fundraising effort by various artists to benefit the Special Olympics. Adler, the director of publicity for Rush Productions which managed Run-DMC, then gave the band the idea for “Christmas in Hollis.” They changed their minds and agreed to be on the album.
Rick Rubin helped produce the track, which was also released as a single by A&M in 1987. The track samples Clarence Carter’s 1968 Christmas song “Back Door Santa.” The musical interlude features classic songs “Frosty the Snowman“, “Jingle Bells“, and “Joy to the World.” The title refers, of course, to Hollis, Queens, the New York City neighborhood where the group were raised.
The music video for “Christmas in Hollis” takes place at the North Pole and in Hollis. At the end of the video, Santa flies away with a dog pulling his sled. Or is it an ill reindeer? The video was directed by Michael Holman with cinematography by Mark Richardson, both NYU film students at the time, and features a cameo appearance by Bannah McDaniels, DMC’s adoptive mother. “Christmas in Hollis” went on to win Rolling Stone‘s Best Video of the Year award in 1987, beating out Michael Jackson’s “Bad” directed by Martin Scorsese.”
Rhymes so loud, I’m proud you hear it? Check. Jack Frost chillin’? Yep. Is the time now and the place here? Definitely! So grab Santa’s wallet, mail it back, and dig in to this episode!
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