What if Santa Claus was a graffiti artist? That’s the premise behind a new music video for “Christmas in L.A.,” a unique hip-hop holiday track celebrating the vibrant culture of Los Angeles.
Released by Crewest Studio as a tribute to the city, “Christmas in L.A.” features a powerhouse lineup of LA-based emcees, including Aceyalone, 2Mex, Medusa, and Myka 9, along with members of the Grammy-winning band Ozomatli. Produced by Dan Ubick of Danube Productions, the song stands out as a rare addition to holiday music, infusing traditional festivities with the city’s iconic hip-hop roots.
“The inspiration for the track was basically to come up with a Christmas anthem for the city of LA,” says graffiti artist Man One, who stars as a sneaker-wearing Santa in the video. “LA is a very large area with different neighborhoods, so we wanted some MCs that portrayed and represented different areas from Lambert Park to Boyle Heights to Hollywood.”
For the song’s video, Man One wanted to tell a holiday story from a different perspective. “We thought it was funny to have Santa Claus running around, tagging stuff, and wearing sneakers so he could jump and run instead of wearing his heavy boots,” he says. “The style and storytelling are deeply rooted in the LA street vibe and culture, reflecting an underground wave of art and a spontaneous, on-the-go approach to filmmaking,” adds the video’s director, award-winning filmmaker VONJAKO. “It’s very much a ‘don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness’ mentality.”
Watch the music video for “Christmas in L.A.” on the player below, then scroll down to read our interview with Man One and VONJAKO on making the music video.
Can you describe the creative process behind the music video? What were some of the key themes you wanted to convey?
Man One: The creative process behind the video was simple. It was a day in the life of Santa Claus in LA. Basically, I wanted to convey what Santa's day looks like, from waking up in his apartment, sketching and painting pieces on the beach, putting stickers up along the way, and then painting a rooftop at night and the journey throughout LA. We wanted to show some of the inner city landscape, not just the glitz and glam most people know LA for. We wanted to show the real LA from a graffiti writer's point of view.
What challenges did you encounter during the production of the music video, and how did you overcome them?
VONJAKO: The first challenge was finding enough accessible locations to showcase the city’s diversity, which is always a major hurdle in Los Angeles. The city is vast, and covering multiple locations in just a few days is no easy task. Adding to the difficulty, we were working with a shoestring budget, and the entire production consisted of just the two of us.
To overcome this, we focused on targeting familiar spots where we could efficiently capture the footage needed to tell the story. Planning for situations like this feels a lot like orchestrating a bank heist—everything matters: the time of day, sunlight, traffic, the number of people around, and whether it’s a weekday or weekend. These are all key elements of guerrilla street filmmaking, a method similar to the approach often used in skate videos.
Why was it important to reimagine Santa Claus as a graffiti artist within the context of the video?
V: It’s a Christmas song that celebrates Los Angeles from a street-level perspective. Imagining Santa as a street artist spreading holiday cheer through graffiti was the perfect symbol. LA is truly a city of the streets—so vast and sprawling that people spend much of their time in cars, surrounded by graffiti and street art.
What better way to connect the dots of this city than by reimagining a classic character like Santa Claus as a graffiti artist, tagging walls, placing stickers, and bringing Christmas spirit to the streets of LA for Angelenos to see and feel?
How did you ensure that the portrayal of LA culture in the music video felt authentic and representative?
V: We weren’t aiming to showcase the Los Angeles you see on postcards or in typical music videos. Instead, we wanted to capture an underground perspective—the alleys, shadowed walls, everyday people, murals, tagging spots, and urban spaces. These are the places where people commute, walk, and gather, far removed from the usual tourist attractions.
Between Man One and me, our deep knowledge of graffiti and street art gave us access to countless hidden, under-the-radar spots around the city that perfectly fit the vibe we were looking for.
What role does storytelling play in creating the song and the music video, and how does it enhance the audience's understanding of the piece?
MO: The song itself is a masterpiece of storytelling by four of LA’s most respected MCs, making the music video very easy in the sense that we couldn't top their storytelling, but instead, we added our own story to the mix. I think this makes it fun for the audience because several stories are going on visually and audibly.
V: For me, it’s usually about capturing a flow and a vibe. In this video, the storytelling complements the style and visual energy, following a day in the life of Santa as a street artist, with the music serving as the perfect soundtrack.
What are some memorable experiences or unexpected adventures that occurred during filming?
MO: My favorite experiences were interacting with the public. If you ever want to see the goodness in people, dress up like Santa and walk the streets. People came up to me and were very nice, asking me for things for Christmas. They shook my hand, gave me high-fives, honked, and waved. It feels good being Santa in a city like LA. Everyone loves you.
How do you feel about the reception of ‘Christmas in L.A.’ on streaming platforms, and what impact do you hope it has on listeners?
MO: People have received the video very well online and on social media. Some people told me that it's their kids' new favorite song. Many artists reached out to me and gave me props for including their artwork in the video. I think it's a love letter to LA, and it came across very well.
V: From what I’ve heard so far, everyone seems to love the video and appreciate the way it captures the spirit of Los Angeles and its vibrant street culture, which we worked hard to incorporate.
How does ‘Christmas in L.A.’ compare to traditional holiday music, and what makes it a standout addition to the holiday music genre?
MO: The beautiful thing about Christmas is that it happens every year, so every year, we have the opportunity to bring cheer and joy to people. Most people don't think of hip-hop when they think of Christmas, especially not LA Christmas or LA hip-hop, so hopefully, this will change their minds, and we can keep reminding them every single December from now on. Jingle jingle jingle!
V: This is one of the first, or at least one of the few, Los Angeles-themed Christmas holiday songs. Approaching it with an old-school hip-hop and street graffiti style feels like the most iconic way we could have brought it to life.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. All images published with permission of the artist(s).