Every New Zealand #1 single…
9
Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze
Topped the NZ chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks from 18 December 1994
Ini Kamoze recorded ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ in early 1992, but it wasn’t released until late 1994.
Ini Kamoze
Kamoze was born in a seaside shack in Oracabessa, Jamaica. His father was a tough police superintendent nicknamed “The Scorpion”, while his mother was a factory worker. He endured a tough life in his youth, after leaving home and living on the streets of Kingston.
“Nika” (as they nicknamed Kamoze) and two other yout’ stand up on the corner at Charles and Bond street, when all of a sudden some police jump out of them jeep. One a them say, “where ya live?” Nika point up the street and say up there sah, but that time him never live nowhere. Him used to sleep on top of that shop there (pointing to a flat roofed structure on the corner).
The cop say, “run”! Till this day I don’t know why they tell him to run, but as soon as he turned, gunshots bark and the two other man them dead. They were armed.” Tallis continues, “Nika is the luckiest yout’ I know.”
Tallis, Reggaeville
Kamoze turned to Rastafarianism. He became a playwright and also wrote a picture history book – Port Royal: the Richest and Wickedest City on Earth. He became a singer-songwriter and visited the legendary Jimmy Cliff every Friday evening.
Legendary drummer Sly Dunbar heard his demo tape, and Kamoze released albums on Island during the 1980s. But his career petered out in the early 1990s – it was rumoured that he was in prison.
Here Comes the Hotstepper
Kamoze recorded ‘Hotstepper’ in 1992, but finding a label proved difficult. Columbia licensed the rights to include the song on their dancehall compilation Stir It Up. Despite the initial lack of interest, the song climbed the charts, reaching #1 in the US, Denmark, Zimbabwe, and New Zealand.
Kamoze created ‘Hotstepper’ with producer Salaam Remi. It was built from a patchwork of samples, with the key drum and bass sample coming from Taana Gardner’s ‘Heartbeat’. Remi’s father had worked with Gardner as an arranger.
“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 Cannibal and the Headhunters version of “Land of a Thousand Dances,” and the verse vocal melody is reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Come Together”, which was inspired by Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”
Wikipedia
‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ starts slowly with the “na-na-na” hook, but once the beat comes in it hits like a truck. Kamoze’s charisma is infectious, probably the only hit single built around the word “murderer”.
Here comes the hotstepper, murderer
I’m the lyrical gangster, murderer
Excuse me mister officer, murderer
Still love you like that, murderer
The Aftermath
‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ was a surprise hit for Kamoze. He’d never enjoyed much previous success outside Jamaica. Its success started a bidding war among major labels, and he signed a seven-album contract with Elektra. But he’s largely sunk back into obscurity, a fascinating one-hit wonder.
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I remember that song. Admittedly, it’s kind of catchy, though unlike ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’, ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ isn’t so much my cup of tea. But, hey, it topped the charts in the US, Denmark, Zimbabwe and New Zealand, so what do I know?
I don’t remember hearing it before. It’s a pretty great groove – I can’t imagine wanting to explore his albums, but it’s a pretty good single.
Serious question, Graham (and showing my ignorance): how do musicians get away with “sampling”? I mean, it’s blatant plagiarism. Do they have to get permission from the publisher first? Maybe the publisher gives it because it draws listeners to their own music? Is there a copyright expiration/public domain thing involved? Always wondered!
I’m not an expert, but I think there was a time in the 1980s when you didn’t have to pay for samples, and you got these great hip hop albums like De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising and The Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, with creative wall-to-wall samples.
Sometime around 1990, people started having to pay royalties, I think.
Though this is catchy and somewhat fun, I have to say that the vast majority of songs that have topped the pop charts from 1992 on have been pretty awful.
I’ve been rating each song as I go, so we’ll see how the ratings shake out as I get a bigger sample (although of course it’s just one person’s opinion). I would guess 1960s win for me, followed by 1980s. There’s a lot of extreme cheese in the 1970s.
As an old man who’s experienced music over six and a half decades, I think the best periods for music overall are 1964-72, 1982-87, and 2012-2018, though I continue to like a lot of music coming out since 2018. Much of the 90s were a low point for me from a musical standpoint, and I agree a lot a shit came out in the 70s.
I think I get more response for songs from the 20th century – further you go in, the less monocultural things get.
You likely get more response when writing about older music because the majority of our fellow bloggers are over 50 years old, and still prefer the songs of their youth.
It sounds familiar but of course it would with Land of the Thousand Dances…but I do think I remember this song…it’s extremely catchy.
I don’t remember it at the time, but great groove in retrospect.
I dont listen to Kid Rock but he put Werewolves of London and Sweethome Alabama together…kinda reminds me of that in a way. You know it off the bat.