When you’re monied, famous and living the good life you don’t really need a side hustle, but still, it never hurts to have one. Especially if it directly correlates to holidays where the rest of the nation tends to spend a lot of their hard-earned money trying to make the people they love smile.
Now that peak spending season is upon us rappers have adopted a new hustle: Pop culture-friendly Christmas merchandise. Your favorites are taking the holiday spirit to heart and emblazoning everything from their own faces to Santa Claus dabbin’ for his life on sweaters and T-shirts. Some of them are doing it for a good cause: 2 Chainz‘s $90k gold and diamond Christmas sweater is for charity, and proceeds from Nas’s kneeling Santa are going towards reforming the justice system. Still others are just in it to poke a bit of fun at themselves and give their fans something memorable.
So if you’ve got a friend who stans hard for any of the names below, here are a few products guaranteed to make their holiday happy.
Future
Future’s clothing line Freebandz dropped its Autumn/Winter 2016 collection earlier in the month. Inspired by Atlanta’s historic Kirkwood neighborhood the assortment included standards like winter-weight varsity jackets, denim printed with allusions to hit songs like “Wicked,” and a bright red Christmas sweater inscribed with “Ho, Ho, Ho”. The phrase normally brings to mind Santa’s jovial laugh but coming from a guy with songs like “Freak Hoe” and “My Ho 2” it could mean anything.
2 Chainz
2 Chainz is giving ol’ Saint Nick a run for his money. Last year he raised almost $2 million dollars for charity simply by launching his ugly Christmas sweater line. This year, Saint Chainz stepped up his game by partnering with celebrity jeweler Avianne to create a $90k “dabbin Santa” sweater that has already been purchased. Proceeds of the sale go toward the rapper’s T.R.U. Foundation which benefits Southside Atlanta, aka his old stomping grounds.
Rich the Kid
300 Entertainment artist Rich the Kid gives a festive nod to, “Dat Way,” his single with rap group Migos, in a festive sweater that also borrows from Subway’s distinctive typography. Available in a black or white colorway, the pullover features Santa holding a bag of money and pointing dat way…
Beyonce
Beyonce isn’t a rapper but she’s still slaying her way through the holidays with a hoodie that gets the ladies (or gentleman) in formation. Sleigh or slay – your choice.
21 Savage
21 Savage takes on the role of 21 Santa in a ridiculously entertaining holiday card that changes one of his more violent lyrics from murder music to something more akin to a Christmas rhyme. You can “pull up at yo mama house and put some presents in it,” in Savage’s “21 Days of Christmas” hoodie while you’re at it.
Questlove
Questlove puts his mark on the holiday season with an afro pick and candy cane embroidered “Merry Questmas” sweater. ‘Tis the season to get back to your Roots, after all.
Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah is hopping on the Christmas merch wave with a multicolored homage to Wu-Tang Clan. The sweater features Killah’s signature hockey masked topped with a Santa hat. The rapper has additionally embroidered the sweater with the clan’s recognizable W alongside an homage to Gucci’s iconic interlocking G print.
Nas
Nas is another celebrity slanging Christmas gear for a good cause. The New York rapper turned Colin Kaepernick’s choice to kneel as a form of protest – a choice that divided the country – into a politically charged statement sweater. Proceeds from kneeling Santa will go to The Center for Court Innovation, an American non-profit that seeks to reform our justice system.
Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert can clearly not be bothered with any of the extra baubles and knacks his other peers festooned their sweaters with. When you’re rolling with Uzi for the holidays you get a black t-shirt with his face on it. The real festive touch comes in with his oversized Santa hat.
Run the Jewels
It’s yuletide season so naturally nothing is more appropriate than Run the Jewels’ holiday sweater. Not only does it feature the clever turn of phrase, “Run the Yules,” there’s also portraits of group members Killer Mike and El-P posed as if they never left the ’90s.