About The Song
“Christmas in Hollis” is a single by Run-DMC that was included on two 1987 Christmas compilation albums featuring various artists: A Very Special Christmas (A&M 3911) and Christmas Rap (Profile 1247). When Bill Adler first asked Run-DMC to contribute to A Very Special Christmas—the first in a series of various artists compilation albums produced to benefit the Special Olympics—they refused. After Bill—who was then the director of publicity for Rush Productions, which managed Run-DMC—gave the band the idea for “Christmas in Hollis,” they changed their minds and agreed to be on the album. (Other contributing artists included Whitney Houston, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Madonna, and Bob Seger.) The track was produced by the group along with Rick Rubin and was originally released as a single in 1987 by A&M. In 2000, thirteen years after it was first released, it reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The title refers to Hollis, Queens, the New York City neighborhood in which the members of Run-DMC grew up. The track samples Clarence Carter’s 1968 holiday song “Back Door Santa”, as well as “Frosty the Snowman”, “Jingle Bells”, and “Joy to the World” and features an Acme siren.
“Christmas in Hollis” was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Tougher Than Leather.
The music video for “Christmas in Hollis” takes place at the North Pole and in Hollis, Queens. At the end of the video, Santa is seen flying away with his sled being pulled by a dog. 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.
Video
Lyrics
It was December 24th on Hollis Ave after dark
When I seen a man chilling with his dog in the park
I approached him very slowly with my heart full of fear
Looked at his dog, oh my God, an ill reindeer
But then I was illin’ ’cause the man had a beard
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o’clock had neared
So I turned my head a second and the man was gone
But he must’ve dropped his wallet smack dead on the lawn
I picked the wallet up, but then I took a pause
Took out the license and it cold said, “Santa Claus”
A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of G’s
Enough to buy a boat and matching car with ease
But I’d never steal from Santa ’cause that ain’t right
So I was going home to mail it back to him that night
But when I got home, I bugged ’cause under the tree
Was a letter from Santa and the dough was for me[Verse 2: D.M.C.]
It’s Christmastime in Hollis, Queens
Mom’s cookin’ chicken and collard greens
Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese
And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees
Decorate the house with lights at night
Snow’s on the ground, snow white so bright
In the fireplace is the yule log
Beneath the mistletoe as we drink eggnog
The rhymes that you hear are the rhymes of Darryl’s
But each and every year, we bust Christmas carols