Here Comes the Hotstepper

The track was cut in Kingston, Jamaica, with Ini Kamoze and producer Alan Gibbs shaping a dancehall crossover single from Kamoze’s earlier material. It was released as Columbia’s 1994 single and quickly became his signature hit. The song broke through as a major dancehall-pop crossover in 1994 and gave Kamoze his first U.S. No. 1 single. It became one of the defining rap-reggae records of the decade. It remains Kamoze’s best-known recording and has stayed in circulation through samples, covers, and interpolations. Its most prominent later echo is Damian Marley’s use of its vocal phrasing and rhythmic feel on later reggae-hip-hop work.