DMX Released a ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Remix Because Why Not

Good news for anyone in the mood for an entirely different kind of holiday music to put you in the festive spirit. On Wednesday, Spotify released a collection of one-off covers of Christmas classics, and while most of them are pretty par for the course — Demi Lovato does a lovely “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and Sam Smith sounds delightfully mournful on “River” — there’s one track that might have casual listeners scratching their heads, while hip-hop fans will be stopping, dropping and shutting everything down to blast this new track.

Rapper DMX decided to join in on the holiday fun with a new rendition of “Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer [sic],” and it is totally different from anything you’ve ever heard in a seasonal compilation before. But as the Ruff Ryder himself would say, it’s all good. He has indeed given it to us: the gift of 97 seconds of the retelling of “the most famous reindeer of all,” all wrapped up in the ribbon that is the rapper’s gruff delivery.

As the AV Club notes, this isn’t the first time DMX has shared his love for Rudolph; during a radio interview back in 2012, he previewed an early version of this masterpiece. This updated Spotify recording is certainly a more polished piece, but he retains all of his signature combative vocal style.

If you’re seeking further unexpected holiday tunes with animals in the narrative, you could also consider Sia’s new song about puppies, “Puppies Are Forever.” There’s truly something for everyone this year.