Christmas in L.A.: The Story Behind the Song

Not Real Art

While much of the country prepares for a frosty festive season, the holidays look a little different in Los Angeles. Imagine palm trees decked out with baubles and twinkling lights, sunny skies, and 70 degree temperatures.

With Christmas just around the corner, our parent company, Crewest Studio, wanted to spread the holiday cheer, put some positive vibes into the world, and celebrate the City of Angels’ legendary hip-hop roots. Produced as a “special gift” to the City of Los Angeles, “Christmas in L.A.” is a free, downloadable song that taps into the city’s hip-hop culture with special guest performances. Featuring L.A.-based emcees Aceyalone, 2Mex, Medusa, and Myka 9 alongside Raul Pacheco and Asdru Sierra of Grammy award-winning Latin rock band Ozomatli, “Christmas in L.A.” pays homage to the City of Angels' magical—and unique—holiday season.

On today’s podcast episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power and Crewest Studio co-founder Man One sit down with the song’s producer, multi-instrumentalist Dan Ubick, to discuss how “Christmas in L.A.” came together in just a few short weeks. “I was so honored to get to work with some new people and try and rise to the challenge of creating a Christmas song that wasn’t corny, [that was] fresh and fun,” says Dan. “[We wanted] to show off the multicultural-ness of growing up in L.A.”

Listeners will also hear from some of the brilliant musical minds behind “Christmas in L.A.,” including Aceyalone, 2Mex, Myka 9, Medusa, Raul Pacheco from Ozomatli, Mixmaster Wolf, and Monalisa. Join us as they share their memories of celebrating warm Christmases in California and reflect on the unforgettable legacy of hip-hop in L.A. “From the minute we thought of doing the [“Christmas in L.A.”] project, we knew we wanted it to be 100 percent pure L.A.,” says Scott. “It had to be real; it had to be authentic. To be able to get this line-up, this roster of L.A. emcees, is such a huge honor. It elevates this project in such a special way. Everybody brings their unique flavor to what is really a Christmas story.”

“Christmas in L.A.” is available to download on Crewest Studio or for streaming on Spotify or Apple Music. An exclusive artist autograph signing takes place at DesignerCon in Anaheim, CA, on Dec. 15, 2023. Limited edition prints and other merchandise featuring artwork from L.A. graffiti artist Man One will also be available.

Listen or download the track here.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dan Ubick’s perspective on producing this bumper holiday tune in just a few weeks.
• Insight into the dope artwork that Man One created for the track.
• What Aceyalone’s Christmas traditions look like and why he’s so proud of this song.
• 2Mex’s growing appreciation for Christmas and his gratitude for the legacy of Project Blowed.
• Reminiscing on what it was like to work with all the musicians on this project
• Why Myka9 believes that it’s important to celebrate joy and creativity right now.
• A look at what Christmas means to Raul Pacheco, having grown up in LA.
• Raul’s take on the unique underground hip-hop flavors of ‘Christmas in L.A.’
• Surfing on Christmas Day, Ray Charles records, and other holiday memories from Dan Ubick.
• What a big traditional Latinx family Christmas looked like in Man One’s house!
• Some of the most memorable gifts that Dan, Man One, and Sourdough ever received.
• Medusa on the privilege of being invited to commemorate Christmas in Los Angeles.
• How she will be celebrating the festive season with her family this year.
• The importance of giving back to your community this Christmas.
• Why Mixmaster Wolf believes this song is so relatable to so many people.
• Monalisa’s family-centric experience of the festive season and the “gift of being alive.”
• Where Man One got his inspiration for the ‘Christmas in L.A.’ artwork and merch.
• Stay tuned to hear our labor of love and our Christmas gift to the City of Angels!

For more information, please visit:

http://notrealart.com/christmas-in-la-the-song

http://xmasinla.com

https://creweststudio.com/christmas-in-la/