The Grouch steals Christmas with help from friends

Underground rapper The Grouch will take a few friends on the road with him to spread a little Christmas joy next month with a slate of pre-holiday shows.

The California-based performer--whose real name is Corey Scoffern--will kick off his "How the Grouch Stole Christmas" trek Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City, UT, keeping close to the West Coast for the 17-city outing, which concludes Dec. 19 in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Dates are below.

Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. will provide opening support on the tour, along with hip-hop duo Fashawn and Exile. More information can be found at The Grouch's website.

The Grouch, a member of California hip-hop crew The Living Legends, will release his latest solo studio album, "Three Eyes Off the Time," in early December. The set follows his 2008 release, "Show You the World." He also took part in Living Legends' most recent studio effort, last year's "The Gathering."

"This project is me acknowledging what is going on in the world around me, and even though I utilize all the web tools available to me, I refuse to participate at the levels of foolishness that have become the norm," The Grouch said of his new album in a press release. "I think that it's time that people realize just how powerful we really are."