Before Kids See Ghosts, there was Kids See Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Originally released in 2010 as part of Kanye West's legendary GOOD Fridays movement, "Christmas In Harlem" seems like an appropriate throwback this Christmas Eve. The song itself brought Teyana Taylor and CyHi The Prynce into the mix, though Kanye's wide-eyed optimism ultimately stole the show; it's fair to call this era his artistic peak, but it's almost factual to name it his peak as a rapper. He even makes sure to insert a little bit of that classic dad humor into his closing lines.
Filling his verse with delightful Christmas imagery and surprisingly relatable lines (from a man who would go on to construct dome houses), Yeezy's innocence veers him closer to Tiny Tim than Ebeneezer Scrooge. And while many hip-hop Christmas anthems build their beats around existing carols, Yeezy's "Christmas In Harlem" is a wholly original composition; it doesn't necessarily rely on nostalgic association, but rather moves to create its own. If you're looking to queue up a wholesome banger for tonight's festivities, look no further than this GOOD Friday classic.
Quotable Lyrics
The streets lit up, it feel like Christmas officially
Told her that “You the star at the top of my Christmas tree”
My only question is, “Where my presents?”
She said, “Shhh,” she got a gift for me that ain’t for the kids to see
Well, I like the way you think mami
Now pour some more eggnog in your drink, mami
You've been a bad girl, give Santa three kisses
Gave her the hot chocolate, she said “It’s Deericious”