Ini Kamoze’s ‘Hotstepper’ On ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Soundtrack
Roots Reggae artist Ini Kamoze continues to have a fruitful year after his single Here Comes The Hotstepper was included in the soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
According to ScreenRant, Here Comes The Hotstepper plays as the Wachowskis leave for Hawaii, during a scene in which Sonic parties in the house and fills the entire living room with soap bubbles. It was further revealed that the song selections were deliberate, to cater to both the older and newer generations; especially since the first video game starring Sonic made its debut in 1991.
This comes two months after the song, which was the lead single on Kamoze’s 1995 album of the same name, became popular again—this time on TikTok. In February, it entered the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart for the first time, where it peaked at No. 7.
It is currently No. 1 on the US iTunes Reggae song chart. The song is certified Platinum in the United States for sales exceeding 1,000,000 units. It later went Platinum in the United Kingdom in 2019 for sales exceeding 600,000 units.
The 12 track Here Comes The Hotstepper album had also re-entered the Billboard Reggae Album chart at No. 10 in February, and remained at that position for a week. It had debuted at No. 1 on the chart in 1995.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which premiered on April 8 in the United States, stars Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, James Marsden and Shemar Moore. The Jeff Fowler production sees the blue hedgehog eager to prove that he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of a mystical emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Born Cecil Campbell, Ini Kamoze began his career in the early 1980s. Adopting another nickname from the song title, Kamoze would become known as the “Hotstepper”, from the meaning—a man on the run from the law. The song was originally recorded with Philip “Fatis” Burrel and later remixed by Salaam Remi and initially featured on a reggae music compilation Stir It Up, released on the Epic label.
His dub version of Here Comes the Hotstepper, otherwise known as I’m Steppin’ it Hotter This Year, released in 1993, remains a dancehall anthem.
The Here Comes The Hotstepper album, which originally made its debut on May 6, 1995, had featured production from legendary duo Sly and Robbie. It also contained rebooted versions of some of Kamoze’s previous recordings, including Call the Police, Gunshot, and World-A-Music.
The artist’s most recent album release is 2016’s Ini Kamoze Meets Xterminator: Tramplin’ Down Babylon on his label, 9SoundClik. This is a collection of newly recorded and previously recorded tracks that were originally released as singles on Xterminator Records by producer Phillip “Fattis” Burrell.
Kamoze has also written a book on the history of Port Royal and a play, Runnings.