For the last four years, the only place you could listen to Chance The Rapper and Jeremih‘s Christmas album, Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama, was on SoundCloud. While that isn’t too much of a problem for fans who like to listen to music on their computers, it did make it hard to add the songs to playlists or take them on-the-go. However, that soon changes as the two Chicago institutions have announced the ultimate gift for fans: Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama is coming to all streaming services — Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal — this Friday, December 11 as Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama: The Gift That Keeps on Giving. Chance made the announcement in an excited tweet complete with an elaborate trailer:
It’s FINALLY happening!! @Jeremih https://t.co/HhoXi4EohW pic.twitter.com/NfAj2qFKFo
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 8, 2020
The collaborative mixtape was initially released on December 22, 2016, with a Re-Wrapped reissue arriving a year later. Eschewing traditional covers or Christmas carols, the two Chicagoans instead opted to craft nine original songs — then ten more on the reissue — celebrating the season with bouncy raps and cheerful melodies. The tape features appearances from other Chicago artists such as Hannibal Buress, King Louie, Noname, and Valee. The duo released the music video for one song, “Are U Live,” last week after holding onto its Cole Bennett-directed video for nearly three years.
Merry Christmas Lil Mama hits streaming services for the first time this Friday, 12/11.