Ini Kamoze
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Ini Kamoze (born 9 October 1957, in Port Maria, Saint Mary, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer.
In 1994, Kamoze released the song which would become his signature, "Here Comes the Hotstepper". Adopting his nickname from the song title, Kamoze would become known as the "Hotstepper", from the Patois for a man on the run from the law. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the fashion-industry satire film, "Prêt-à-Porter". "Hotstepper" still remains one of dancehall's more well-known hits, with its call-and-response chorus of "Here come de hotstepper / murderer; "I'm de lyrical gangsta / murderer" lighting up nightclubs worldwide. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" remains Kamoze's only U.S. number one hit (see Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1994).
His self-titled debut album was released in 1984 as a six track mini-LP on Island Records. In the album notes he describes himself as a "pencil thin... disentangled... six-foot vegetarian". The album includes the song "World a Music" which was to be sampled by Damian Marley on his 2005 hit, "Welcome to Jamrock". The album was recorded with and produced by Sly and Robbie, with whom he also toured internationally along with Yellowman and Half Pint. By 1988, however, Kamoze had effectively disappeared from the music scene following lukewarm reactions to his intermittent releases.
