Here Comes the Hotstepper

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"Here Comes the Hotstepper"
Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze standard artwork.png
Standard artwork
Single by Ini Kamoze
from the album Here Comes the Hotstepper
ReleasedAugust 18, 1994
Genre
Length4:13
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Salaam Remi
Ini Kamoze singles chronology
"Hill and Gully Ride"
(1992) 		"Here Comes the Hotstepper"
(1994) 		"Listen Me Tic (Woyoi)"
(1995)

"Here Comes the Hotstepper" is a song co-written and recorded by Jamaican dancehall artist Ini Kamoze. It was released as the lead single from his 1995 album Here Comes the Hotstepper as well as the soundtrack to the film Prêt-à-Porter. It is best known[citation needed] for its "naaaa na na na naaaa..." chorus inspired by the Wilson Pickett cover of "Land of 1000 Dances".

The song was Kamoze's only song to reach the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking atop the chart on December 17, 1994, and remaining there for two weeks. It also became a number-one hit in Denmark, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe and a top-10 hit in 13 other countries. John Gibbons made a remix of the song in 2018.

Usages of music sampling[]

"Here Comes the Hotstepper" contains several samples, including vocals from "The Champ" by The Mohawks, "Hot Pants" by Bobby Byrd, and "La Di Da Di" by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. The song's instrumental samples the drums and bass from "Heartbeat" by Taana Gardner and guitar notes from "Hung Up on My Baby" by Isaac Hayes. The song uses the "na na na na na..." chorus from the Wilson Pickett cover of "Land of a Thousand Dances," and the verse vocal melody is reminiscent of The Beatles' "Come Together".

Chart performance[]

"Here Comes the Hotstepper" remains Kamoze's biggest hit to date. It went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and on the Canadian RPM Dance chart.[1][2] In Europe, it peaked at number one in Denmark as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100.[3][4] The single climbed into the top 10 in Austria, Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.[5][6][7][8][9] In the latter nation, it peaked at number four during its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on January 15, 1995, and spent four weeks at that position, topping the UK R&B Chart in the process.[10][11] Elsewhere, "Here Comes the Hotstepper" topped the charts in New Zealand and Zimbabwe and peaked at number two in Australia.[5][12] The single was awarded with a gold record in France and Germany and a platinum record in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

Critical reception[]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic noted that the song "lifts a line from "Land of 1000 Dances", and places it on an infectious dancehall beat -- it's a great single that deserved to be a huge hit."[19] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Reggae-splashed pop/hip-hopper is fueled by a prominent sample of Taana Gardner's disco chestnut "Heartbeat". Already getting active attention, infectious party jam percolates with innocuous but appealing rapping and familiar chants. Don't be surprised if this sleeper soars past the expected hits to the top of the Hot 100."[20] Music writer James Masterton stated in his weekly UK chart commentary, that "the infectious dance track owes much of its success to the 'Na Na Na Na Na' hook".[21]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Let's go "funkin' for Jamaica" again. Included on the OST Prêt-à-Porter, the veteran reggae man unexpectedly sees himself in the US top 10 with a chunk of '80s fatback funk."[22] Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "catchy funk anthem doing the business in the US".[23] The magazine's James Hamilton described it as a "lyrical gangster's madly infectious US smash reggae jiggler using the 'naa na-na-naa' chant from 'Land Of A 1000 Dances'".[24] Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, "Kamoze has been a journeyman reggae dancehall singer for a number of years. With this cut, he's distilled most of the stylistic variants of his competitors, sweetened them with some goof hooks and come up with a breakthrough pop record that threatens to keep folks dancing for the next several years. I'm not sure what's "Heartical" about this version, but this is the mix you want."[25]

Music video[]

Two music video were made to accompany the song. The remix version used various scenes from the film Prêt-à-Porter.

Impact and legacy[]

Blender listed the song at number 492 in their ranking of The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born in 2005.[26]

BuzzFeed listed it at number 46 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s in 2017.[27]

In 2020, Latin singer Nicky Jam and Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee interpolated the song's hook for the single "Muévelo", from the Bad Boys for Life soundtrack,[28] as did Israeli musical duo Static & Ben El for their single "Further Up (Na, Na, Na, Na, Na)", featuring American rapper Pitbull.[29] That same year, Parquet Courts frontman and artist A. Savage designed a t-shirt, Excuse Me Mister Officer (Murderer), named for a line in the song's pre-chorus, to honor victims of police brutality, the proceeds from which he donated to various US- and New York-based anti-prison organizations.[30]

In 2021, Philadelphia-based musician and social media personality Pat Finnerty enlisted Dr. Dog to cover the track for the "Hey, Soul Sister" episode of his Youtube series, What Makes This Song Stink. [31]

Track listing[]

  • CD single
  1. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Heartical Mix)
  2. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Allaam Mix)
  • CD maxi – Europe (1994)
  1. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Heartical Mix) – 4:13
  2. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Heartipella) – 4:15
  3. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Heartimental) – 4:13
  4. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Allaam Mix) – 4:36
  5. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (Allamental) – 4:37
  6. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (LP Version) – 4:09

Charts and certifications[]

References[]

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  2. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2711." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Billboard 25 March 1995. Billboard. March 25, 1995. Retrieved December 1, 2010. hits of the world.
  4. ^ a b "Billboard". March 18, 1995 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c "Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ^ a b "Billboard". March 4, 1995 – via Google Books.
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