Hip Hop Christmas Songs

Do you fancy something a little different this Christmas time? Why not try some hip hop music this year? If you're tired of rockin' around your Christmas tree to traditional tunes or if you're a bit sick of the usual poppy Christmas albums, try some hip hop music instead. Full of rapping vocals, banging beats and gritty backing tracks, hip hop is perfect Christmas music for the younger generations or if you're looking for something a little more hardcore this Christmas. We've compiled a list of our top 15 hip hop songs to give you a taste of something a little different this year.

This tune starts off like your usual traditional Christmas song, with sleigh bells and a rather traditional Christmas tune, but quickly transcends into a corker of a track, with the king of hip hop Run DMC's booming rap vocals, fun lyrics and a backing track that you'll find yourself humming all day long. 80's hip hop at it's very best!

One of the most original Christmas covers/spoofs we've heard in some time, this offering from notorious hip hop party duo the Ying Yang Twins is fun, quirky and a definite dance-floor filler. It's basically a pimped-up version of Deck the Halls, so you'll recognise the traditional tune, but that's where the similarities end - with rather hilarious lyrics and a slowed down backing track, this is a frankly brilliant Christmas tune.

A fun rap song by The Treacherous Three, the hip hop trio known for being the originators of fast rapping and for influencing MC powerhouses such as LL Cool J, Rakim and T La Rock, this is a totally original Christmas song. Full of fun lyrics and an unusual video, this is the sort of song you can imagine playing whilst decorating your Christmas tree.

Eazy-E was an American rapper who performed both solo and with infamous group N.W.A. Eazy started off as a drug dealer, but then invested in Ruthless Records and became a rapper. This song, actually known as Merry Mutha****in' Christmas, is typical of Eazy-E's style - over-the-top, charismatic and full of fun. Remember to steer clear from this song if you're easily offended by cursing, however…

Absolutely one of our favourite ever Christmas hip hop songs, this Christmas tune from probably the biggest hip hop artist of our time is actually rather full of Christmas cheer. Snoop celebrates the fun aspects of Christmas, describing a pimp cup of eggnog and his homeboy's special gifts, but he also describes some of the lesser-mentioned aspects of Christmas, such as how hard Christmastime is for kids in the ghetto. Definitely a Christmas song for the younger generations.

Another mix of a classic song, 'Here Comes Santa Claus', this offering from American rapper, entrepreneur and actor, Ludacris, is a fun and frolicking Christmas tune. Full of tongue in cheek lyrics, a heavy backing track and a beat that will get everyone up and dancing, this is definitely a song to add to your Christmas playlist.

This is one of the most star-studded Christmas tracks on our list - starring some of the biggest hip hop and R&B artists of our time, this Santa Baby cover is a darker version of the original, explaining how the poor really spend the holidays. Even though the subject matter isn't the most festive, the tune and backing track are both quite chilled out and so this would be a good driving record.

This is a wonderful example of a contemporary Christmas song - it's a mixture of R&B and hip hop, and has a smooth backing track that you'd usually associate with jazz or blues, but rap lyrics that you'd more commonly associate with the likes of Snoop Dogg. It's an unusual song, but it's a good one, with a nostalgic sound that should make time spent wrapping your Christmas presents fly by.

The first offering from the girls on our list, this is also one of the few truly family-friendly tunes on our list. With a properly 90s sound, TLC's quirky vocals and an up-tempo backing track, boogie round your Christmas tree to this tune and get yourself firmly into the spirit of Christmas.

One of the few offerings on our list from this century, this tune from Jim Jones has a brilliantly modern feel with sleigh bells in the background and a few tongue in cheek parodies of some classic Christmas lyrics. It's a very laidback song with a relaxed feel and some rather lovely vocals.

The second offering on our list from the Ying Yang Twins, and also the second time we see 'Sleigh Ride' appear on our list, this entirely new version of the TLC classic is a real dance-floor filler. With rather different vocals to the original track, it's still a real corker - and if you're a fan of the Ying Yang Twins, you'll be pleased to know that they actually recorded a whole album of Christmas songs.

With rather sweet jingle bells that play out the opening lines of, well, 'Jingle Bells', you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is a traditional Christmas melody. Ten seconds in however, and you realise that this isn't your average Christmas song. With Spyder-D's tongue in cheek lyrics describing a Santa that will help pay your bills, find a new lover and do your dirty dishes, this is probably one of the most accurate songs in terms of what we want from Santa!

An old-skool tune that actually sounds really modern, this is a real classic Christmas hip hop song with a really fast tempo. If you're looking for a Christmas song that fits the hectic and frantic pace of the holidays, you may have come to the right place with this offering from hip hop group 69 Boyz.

Not hip hop in the truest sense, but definitely with a hip hop edge, this offering from world-famous Destiny's Child is fun, urban and most definitely festive. With lyrics such as 'On the eighth day of Christmas my baby gave to me a pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring', this is a brilliant Christmas song for the girls!

This is a brilliant offering from Dirty Boyz, with lyrics describing how all they want for Christmas is to get crunk - but don't worry, they also want peace in the world, an 'old school candy painted Cadillac' and a girl with a body like Serena Williams under their mistletoe!