Chance the Rapper and Jeremih snuck in like Santa and dropped a surprise holiday-themed mixtape early Thursday morning, just in time for Christmas.
Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama features nine holiday tracks and guest appearances from comedian Hannibal Buress and rappers Noname and Lud Foe.
Chance and Jeremih, both from Chicago, have worked together previously. This project, which the Los Angeles Times reports is dedicated to their hometown, features a new spin on the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” with “I’m Your Santa.” The mixtape opens with the iconic “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid” line from A Christmas Story. The Times notes that the line is especially meaningful to Chance, who has made continued efforts to help curb rampant gun violence in his hometown.
This has been a huge year for Chance, whose last mixtape, Coloring Book, became the first streaming-only album to chart on the Billboard 200. According to the Times, the rapper has yet to make his music available for purchase and is not signed to a major label.
Listen to the mixtape below, but be warned, there is mildly offensive language.
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Monique Judge is a freelance journalist in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter.
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