Maybe It’s Time To Invite The “Hotstepper” Back
Although this steps somewhat on Matos‘ expertise, it’s important to note: “Hotstepper” hit No. 1 in the U.S. at a welcome time, with four truly miserable songs taking hold of the top spot from May 21 to December 10, 1994. Those songs: All-4-One’s “I Swear,” Lisa Loeb’s “Stay,” and Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love To You” and “On Bended Knee”. One would imagine being featured prominently in the Roger Altman trainwreck Prêt-à-Porter would have doomed the track to obscurity, but it held on to the top spot for two weeks before the regrettable return of “Knee”. A clue as to why: Unlike Sean Kingston’s all-out hijacking of “Stand By Me” on “Beautiful Girl,” Kamoze was wise enough to throw together the components of two crowd-pleasers (the vocal hook of Wilson Pickett’s “Land of a Thousand Dances,” the beat of Taana Gardner’s “Heartbeat”)
Ini Kamoze made a return of sorts as the “Out in the streets, they call it murder” sample from Damien Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock,” but he is unlikely to see a chart resurgence in the near future. However, “Hotstepper” deserves to be pulled from obscurity, recognized for its ability to rock crowds and drive middle-aged white people to chant “murderer.” Ini Kamoze, today Idolator pays tribute to you.
Here Comes The Hotstepper [Youtube]