Two very different tracks for you today.

I’m not aware of many Hip-Hop C

hristmas tracks (note: I didn’t say there weren’t many, I said I wasn’t aware of many, which is something else entirely). T

his one dates from about 1986 or 1987, I think, as a kid at school stuck it on a tape for me (as in when I was at school, not the kids I teach, who are probably now only vaguely aware of either cassettes or Run DMC). Anyway, this is Run DMC’s Christmas in Hollis:

Run DMC -‘Christmas in Hollis.’ mp3

As to whether this track is a Christmas one…well, it was a Christmas no.1 for East 17 and it sounded vaguely Christmassy, and maps have stuck this out as a free download. Only be

came aware of this today, but I rather like it.

Maps -‘Stay Another Day.’ mp3

There will be more Christmas stuff on here, for those of yo

u interested in that sort of stuff, and when I finally work them out, my albums of the year. I got taken to task earlier for not including Arcade Fire in my Festive Fifty. Is it some kind of unwritten rule amongst mp3 bloggers that we have to praise them above all other bands?! Oh well, see you soon…