We’re on the brink of December, and you know what that means: Everytime you step into a public place, there’s going to be the same three fucking Christmas carols blaring in your ear.

While many musicians – most notably, Mariah Carey & co – have capitalised on the holiday spirit by recording their own version of the classics, nothing quite matched hard-headed New York street rapper DMX covering ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ at Power 105.1 radio station back in 2012.

Gloriously rugged, with X’s own hands providing the percussion, this ad-lib heavy cover of the Christmas classic is the stuff of legends, bound to be put on replay (alongside the Mean Girls rendition of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’) every time the trees and tinsel go up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXca4WcCzlo

Now, DMX has finally gotten the recognition he deserves. The man who once released a classic album called It’s Dark & Hell Is Hot has fully embraced the holiday, receiving his own official cover of ‘Rudolph’ as part of a Spotify compilation album, where various stars from Miley Cyrus to Sam Smith deliver Christmas covers. Still, it goes without saying that X is the definitive highlight, this time with pounding bass and chirpy keys to help the jovial atmosphere:

Christmas really has come early.