I’m low-key jealous of people who in the past (or currently in the present) made the mistake of spending several successive Halloween seasons working for Spirit Halloween. Beyond summoning within them a lifelong aversion to the song “Werewolves of London”, they have most likely overdosed on festive spookiness. Like the pop-up stores filled with cheesy and cheap disposable mass -produced props (versus the strictly farm-to-table Ghostface masks), the low hanging holiday faves get played and played, over and over until they suck. Look, I’m a hip hop head. Always have been and most likely, always will be. I’m adding this disclaimer to basically say that my wicked Horror-core Halloween mix might be a bit different from most.
My Fright Night With 20 Live Mics playlist would look something like this:
A Nightmare on My Street- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
DNA- Kendrick Lamar
Devil’s Son- Big L
Satanic Verses- The Flatlinerz
1 800 Suicide – Gravediggaz
Chuckie- Geto Boys
9 Dead Bodies- Esham
Mask 2 My Face – Gangsta Boo
Apartment 223- Kool Keith
Murder Ink- Dr Dre
Horror Movie Rap- Ganxzta Nip
Night Of The Living Baseheads- Public Enemy
Dracula’s Wedding- Outkast
Ghostbusters Rap- Run DMC
The Gravediggers- The Undatakaz
Adams Groove- MC Hammer
Nightmare Vultures- Mobb Deep featuring Raekwon
Blade- KRS-One & Channel Live
Fuckin Wit Dis Click – Three 6 Mafia
Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes- TLC featuring Andre 3000
I think I have some killer cuts on there. Some underground, some camp and some that sound really frightening. Thinking outside of my own box, I have added some non-rap selections below that you might consider adding:
Anything by the Cramps.
Every Day is Halloween – Ministry
Down in the Park – Gary Numan
The Happening – The Pixies
Wicked Annabella -The Kinks
Graveyard Rock – Tarantula Ghoul
Mad Witch – David Gardner
I Drink Blood – Rocket from the Crypt
Mummy’s Bracelet – Lee Ross
Rockin’ in the Graveyard – Jackie Morningstar
Halloween Spooks – Lambert
It’s Halloween – The Shags
Midnight Stroll – The Revels
Dance with the Dead – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Dancing at the Zombie Zoo – Tom Petty
Halloween – Dead Kennedys
Red Right Hand – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night – Leadbelly, Nirvana and countless other artists
Howl- Florence & The Machine (which quotes the “even a man who is pure of heart” poem from The Wolf Man)
By the way, Spirit Halloween shame will not be tolerated. Sure, they’ve got their share of anatomically-incorrect animal skeletons and improbably sexed-up costumes, similar to what you’ll find in the seasonal sections of other big-box stores. But they also make a wide variety of licensed costumes and decor from both popular horror franchises and cult faves. The one time I dropped in this season, I was gobsmacked to find a working replica of a Killer Klowns cotton candy gun on the shelf. These aren’t high-end collectibles; they’re not meant to be. They’re for people who love horror films (or certain ghostly theme park rides), but can’t afford to drop hundreds of bucks on some WETA Workshop statue. I also suspect we have Spirit to thank for getting Trick ‘r Treat the recognition it deserves. Respect.