Ini Kamoze

Ini Kamoze

Ini Kamoze in 1998
Background information
Birth name Cecil Campbell
Born (1957-10-09) 9 October 1957
Origin Saint Mary, Jamaica
Genres Reggae, dancehall, reggaefusion
Occupation(s) Reggae artist
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1981–present
Labels 9 SoundClik
Columbia/SME Records
EastWest Records
Mango Records
Island Records
Website www.inikamoze.com

Ini Kamoze (/ˈaɪni kəˈmoʊzi/), born Cecil Campbell; 9 October 1957,[1] is a Jamaican reggae artist who began his career in the early 1980s and returned to prominence in 1994 with the signature song "Here Comes the Hotstepper". The single topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as well as record charts in Denmark and New Zealand, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart.[2][3]

Career

He made his first single, "World Affairs", in 1981. Kamoze then released a 12-inch single "Trouble You A Trouble Me"/"General" in 1983. His self-titled debut album was released in 1984 as a six track mini-LP on Island Records.[1]

The album was recorded with and produced by Sly and Robbie, with whom he toured internationally along with Yellowman and Half Pint.[4][5][6][7] Kamoze was known for his "commanding presence" and "sinuous vocal style".[8] By 1988, however, he had effectively disappeared from the music scene. Kamoze founded his own label, releasing a compilation album Selekta Showcase which featured a popular Kamoze single titled "Stress".[1] Four years later he released his next album, 16 Vibes of Ini Kamoze, which sold well.[1]

In 1994, he released "Here Comes the Hotstepper". Kamoze would become known as the "Hotstepper", from the patois for a man on the run from the law. The song was originally recorded with Philip "Fatis" Burrell and later remixed by Salaam Remi, and initially featured on a reggae music compilation Stir It Up, released on the Epic label.[1][9] "Here Comes the Hotstepper" was not an entirely new composition, having roots in the song "Land of 1000 Dances", which was a number one R&B hit for Wilson Pickett in 1966 and was first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962 and reprised in 1963 by Fats Domino.[1][9] The remixed version of the track also incorporates the bass line from Taana Gardner's 1981 single "Heartbeat".[10] The song appeared on the soundtrack to the fashion-industry satire feature film Prêt-à-Porter.[4][7] "Here Comes the Hotstepper" remains Kamoze's only U.S. number one hit (see Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1994).[4]

The success of the single sparked an intense bidding war with several major labels hoping to sign him.[11][12] Kamoze signed a seven album deal with Elektra Records in November 1994.[13]

Kamoze's career after this high-water mark featured the compilation album Here Comes the Hotstepper which was released in 1995 by Columbia Records (against Kamoze's wishes), around the same time as his first album for Elektra, Lyrical Gangsta.[1][12][14]

Both the riddim (known as "World Jam") and the hook of Damian Marley's 2005 hit "Welcome to Jamrock" were sampled from Kamoze's 1984 track "World-A-Music".[15] The opening line — "Out in the streets, they call it merther" — has been sampled in countless drum and bass and dubstep tracks. 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.

In 2005, Kamoze recorded and released a double album, Debut, on which he re-recorded a number of tracks from earlier in his career.[16] Debut was released on his own 9 Sound Clik label.[16][17]

The artist's most recent album release is 2009's 51 50 Rule. The album includes tracks such as "Rapunzel" (feat. Maya Azucena) and "Hungry Daze". The album also had some guest features from Sizzla ("R.A.W"), and Busy Signal ("Ta Da Bang"). This was his second album released on the 9 Sound Clik label.[18][19]

Other

Kamoze wrote a book on the history of Port Royal, and a play, Runnings.[11]

Discography

Albums

Studio albums
Compilation albums

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
AUS
 AUT
 BEL
(Fl)		 BEL
(Wa)		 FRA
[21]		 NED
 NOR
 NZ
 SWE
 SWI UK
 US
Hot
100
1994 "Here Comes the Hotstepper" 2 6 3 3 2 16 4 1 5 4 4 1 Here Comes the Hotstepper

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Biography". Musicianguide.com. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 296. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ "Ini Kamoze profile, officialcharts.com; retrieved 23 December 2012
  4. 1 2 3 Brennan, Sandra. "Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Broughton, Simon et al (2000) World Music: The Rough Guide (Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific), Rough Guides, ISBN 978-1858286365, p. 454
  6. ↑ Vare, Ethlie Ann (1986) "The Taxi Gang, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Ini Kamoze, Yellowman, Half Pint, Universal Amphitheatre", Billboard, 15 November 1986, p. 29; retrieved 23 December 2012
  7. 1 2 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 978-0313331589, pp. 146-7
  8. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (15 November 1986). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 29–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. 1 2 Kenner, Rob (1995) "Next: Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper", Vibe, February 1995; retrieved 23 December 2012
  10. ↑ Aaron, Charles (1995) "Singles: Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper", Spin, p. 80; February 1995; retrieved 23 December 2012
  11. 1 2 Atwood, Brett (1994) "Labels Stepping Over Each Other in Race for Kamoze", Billboard, pp. 10, 109, 12 November 1994; retrieved 23 December 2012.
  12. 1 2 Atwood, Brett (1995) "Kamoze Competes Against Himself", Billboard, pp. 8, 96, 4 March 1995; retrieved 23 December 2012
  13. ↑ Lichtman, Irv (1994) "Kamoze Signs Elektra Deal", Billboard, p. 136, 26 November 1994; retrieved 23 December 2012
  14. ↑ "Sony Baloney", Vibe, June–July 1995, p. 32; retrieved 23 December 2012
  15. ↑ Jeffries, David (13 September 2005). "Welcome to Jamrock: Damian "Junior Gong" Marley". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  16. 1 2 Kwaaku (2006) "Hotstepper Returns", Billboard, p. 41, 1 April 2006; retrieved 23 December 2012.
  17. ↑ Kenner, Rob (2006) "Boomshots", Vibe, p. 137, January 2006; retrieved 23 December 2012
  18. ↑ Cooke, Mel (2007) "Ini Kamoze defines 'My Girl'", Jamaica Gleaner, 20 July 2007; retrieved 23 December 2012
  19. ↑ Cooke, Mel (2009) "CD review - Snipping would make Ini Kamoze's '51 50 Rule' even better", Jamaica Gleaner, 25 September 2009; retrieved 23 December 2012.
  20. ↑ Brennan, Sandra (1957-10-09). "Ini Kamoze - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  21. ↑ LesCharts.com: La Fouine discography
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