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Yo Yo Yo Kids
Yo, it's Christmas
Razor And Tie
While traditional Christmas practice is for kids to dispense with the wrapping so they can get to the good stuff, in the case of the Yo Yo Yo Kids, the good stuff is the rapping. The brainchild of composer/hip-hop producer Fred Sargolini (Brandy, Carl Thomas, Stomp The Yard), Yo Yo Yo Kids are comprised of a group of youngsters who are as stoked about hip-hop as they are about Christmas. And that excitement imbues numbers like "Jingle Bells" and "12 Days Of Christmas" with an exuberance and energy that somehow gets sucked out and turned somber by carolers wandering the snowy streets. In addition to the traditional tracks, there are a couple of originals here, too, like "Sledding Song" and "Presents" both of which have ebullient and infectious charm. Look, if you have kids this is definitely your thing because the songs are so well-crafted they don't tire easily and won't make your house echo with ringing holiday hell repetition. Christmas songs are tried and true, but they're also truly tiring due to years of overuse. Yo, It's Christmas may be a strange proposition—the kids don't even get named in the album credits, which brings up all those obvious sweatshop concerns—but it certainly is a refreshing one.
--Alex Green
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