Hey, hey… My favourite poet of Jamaican reggae music, Ini Kamoze, my “lyrical gangsta”, was born in 1957 in Port Maria, Saint Mary, Jamaica. This man is actually a reggae lyrical genius. WICKED!
Ini Kamoze’s recording debut was Hassle You a Hassle Me within the early ’80s. As competent a songwriter as Bob Marley with a masterful expertise for social commentary, his catchy hooks and sly wittiness set him as much as be the best reggae artist since Marley. However Mr. Kamoze marched to his personal drummer, refused to be categorized by the music business, made a number of questionable profession decisions and reportedly did a brief jail stint within the 1990s.
Whereas he hasn’t benefitted from big reputation outdoors Jamaica, his signature track Right here Comes the Hotstepper (1994) made Ini Kamoze a family identify and have become certainly one of dancehall’s most properly-recognized hits. He later adopted the nickname “Hotstepper”, from Jamaican Patois which means a person on the run from the regulation. This music stays his solely U.S. #1 hit.
Together with his trademark “hey, hey…” Ini Kamoze will all the time be one among my all-time favourite reggae artists. He’s a powerhouse of expertise for recent and vital acutely aware lyrics, influenced drastically by R&B, rap and hip-hop. He speaks on to my soul – like an electrical present – and isn’t boring.
Mr. Kamoze doesn’t condone random acts of violence however is an advocate for constructive change. Twenty years in the past, in Gunshot (Respect Not) he chastised Jamaica’s corrupt leaders and politicians for condoning gun violence, thus forcing poor youngsters to kill one another senselessly. Sadly, his message continues to be fairly related immediately as Jamaica suffers from far too many pointless gun-associated deaths.
Ini Kamoze’s songs are boastful, cocky and defiant but, on the similar time, eloquent and sleek with a eager sense of wit. His unmatched lyrical mastery helps him produce a number of the most fascinating lyrics in all of reggae music. And he can write some darn advantageous lovers’ lyrics as nicely. He has collaborated with the greats, like Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, and I’m sure he has some potent reggae left in him!
If Ini Kamoze’s music pursuits you, attempt to discover his debut album from 1984, Ini Kamoze, which is (criminally) nonetheless out there solely in vinyl, or decide up Debut, his double CD compilation album which options re-recordings of his early hits, and pay attention im tic!. Though the songs endure just a bit bit because of the lack of the Sly & Robbie productions, the poetic lyrics stay the identical. Your soul will thanks.
Go to Ini Kamoze’s MySpace website for superior info, music, and perception into this cryptic however charismatic character: http://www.myspace.com/inikamoze and for information about his upcoming CD launch “51/50 Rule”. Whereas his profession has definitely been erratic, Mr. Kamoze has fortunately not disappeared from the music scene. I maintain my breath in anticipation!
