"Here Comes the Hotstepper" is a dancehall

Dancehall

Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...

 song by musician Ini Kamoze

Ini Kamoze

Cecil Campbell , better known by his stage name Ini Kamoze is a Jamaican reggae singer. He is best known for his signature song, "Here Comes the Hotstepper", which was released in 1994, and subsequently topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart...

, co-written with Richard Winsland and recorded in 1994. It extrapolates the well-known "na na na na na..." chorus from the song "Land of a Thousand Dances

Land of a Thousand Dances

"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...

" by Chris Kenner

Chris Kenner

Chris Kenner was a New Orleans R&B singer and songwriter, best known for two hit singles in the early 1960s, that became staples in the repertoires of many other musicians.-Biography:...

, later covered by Wilson Pickett

Wilson Pickett

Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...

. To date it is Kamoze's only US number-one hit. It also made the UK Top 5, peaking at number 4.

The song was particularly popular in fashion shows of the 1990s. It was also featured in Prêt-à-Porter

Prêt-à-Porter (film)

Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 American satirical black comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers...

and a music video with footage from the film was released and included on the U.S. VHS release of the movie.

Use of sampling

"Here Comes the Hotstepper" samples

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 various tracks.

• Bobby Byrd
  Bobby Byrd
  Bobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award...
  
   - "Hot Pants-I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming", 1971 (vocal sample: "I'm coming")
• Doug E. Fresh
  Doug E. Fresh
  Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
  
   and Slick Rick
  Slick Rick
  Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
  
   - "La Di Da Di", 1985 (vocal sample: "hit it")
• Taana Gardner
  Taana Gardner
  Taana Gardner is an American disco and post-disco singer who found her success through West End Records from 1979 to the present day. She is also a former member of the Aural Exciters....
  
   - "Heartbeat", 1981 (drums and bass)
• Isaac Hayes
  Isaac Hayes
  Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
  
   - "Hung Up on My Baby", 1971 (closing guitar notes)
• The Mohawks - "The Champ", 1968 (looped vocal sample: "hey")

In the media and cover versions

• Played in the 1994 movie Prêt-à-Porter
  Prêt-à-Porter (film)
  Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 American satirical black comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers...
  
  (called Ready to Wear in some countries).
• Played in an episode of I Love the '90s.
• Played in the 2005 movie Racing Stripes
  Racing Stripes
  Racing Stripes is a 2005 comedy film directed by Frederik Du Chau, the director of Quest for Camelot. Although set in Kentucky, the movie was filmed in Pietermaritzburg and Nottingham Road, South Africa.-Plot:...
  
  .
• Theme music for wrestling tag-team Public Enemy
  The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)
  The Public Enemy was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. The duo competed in many promotions, including Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , National Wrestling Alliance , and the World Wrestling Federation...
  
   in ECW
  Extreme Championship Wrestling
  Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
  
  .
• Covered by AtomXFlow in 2004. This version peaked at #49 in France.
• Used in the remix for the Ghostface Killah
  Ghostface Killah
  Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
  
   song Cherchez LaGhost
• Used in the remix for Hoi! - Here Comes The Hoi! Steppa
• Used as the theme song for the Buick
  Buick
  Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
  
   "Take a Look at Me Now" television advertising campaign/rebranding effort in 2009.
• Prince Naseem Hamed
  Naseem Hamed
  Naseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
  
  , former WBO, WBC and IBF world featherweight boxing champion famously used this song for some of his ring entrances.
• Covered by Awaken Demons in 2010.
• Used in Olips Menthol advertisement in 2010.
• Ranked at #91 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever by Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
  AOL Radio
  AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
  
  , who taunts, "Let's sing along! 'They call me Aaa-noyyyyying! (Word 'em up!)/I'm a one-hit wonder (thank...fully!).'

"

• The Song "Qui t'a dit" (2010) by the French rap Group Sexion d'Assaut covers Here Comes the Hotstepper in its chorus

Tracklist

CD single

1. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (heartical mix)
2. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (allaam mix)

CD maxi

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

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified	Physical sales
France	Silver	August 18, 1995	125,000	300,000
Germany	Gold	1995	150,000
U.S.	Platinum	December 6, 1994	1,000,000

Peak positions

Chart (1994–1995)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	2
Austrian Singles Chart	6
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...	21
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...	3
Dutch Singles Chart	16
French SNEP Singles Chart	2
German Singles Chart	6
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	3
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	4
Swedish Singles Chart	5
Swiss Singles Chart	4
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...	22
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40	1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	5

End of year charts

End of year chart (1994)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	85
End of year chart (1995)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	22
Austrian Singles Chart	26
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	7
French Singles Chart	9
Swiss Singles Chart	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	24

End of decade charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	65