By 1988, however, Ini Kamoze had effectively disappeared from the music scene following lukewarm reactions to his intermittent releases.
In 1994, Kamoze burst back onto the scene with a harder sound and 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 infectious song found its way onto several soundtracks, including the fashion-industry satire, "Prêt-à -Porter". The resulting video featured a much more solid Kamoze and the obligatory scantily-clad women for this genre of music. "Hotstepper" still remains one of dancehall's more well-known hits, with its call-and-response chorus of "Here come de hotstepper - MURDERER (often misheard as "Word it up") - I'm de lyrical gangsta - MURDERER" lighting up clubs worldwide. "Here Comes The Hotstepper" remains Kamoze's only US #1 hit (see Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1994).
Rapunzel
Ini Kamoze Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes its been a while and I know you long for my touch
Hello there Rapunzel girl dont you hear me ringing off your bell
Imma climb up through your window then still
Let down your hair I come for tha knock knock kill
Hi there Rapunzel well girl wont ya come outta ya shell
Imma fire hard at ya like a Haskell
Face down what Im impressed with the princess
Turn around hot I confess ya got my interest
Wet sunshine I need the herb without tha seed
Im in ya garden pulling ya weeds ow ow
On da floor she got it bad she want it mad
Hard core say it more more and more
Ma name is I shall return
Ya man a no my concern
I get burned and a still wont learn
In a situation like this I believe its always my turn
In Ini Kamoze's song Rapunzel, the singer or speaker is expressing his longing for Rapunzel. He acknowledges that it's been a while since they last saw each other and he misses her, fantasizing about getting intimate with her. He is so eager to be with her that he expresses his willingness to climb up to her window and "knock knock kill." He tries to draw her out of her shell, wanting her to give in to his desire for her. He describes her as a princess, saying he is impressed with her appearance and is also clearly attracted to her.
The singer then makes a sexual reference, saying he needs the herb without the seed. Her garden represents a metaphor for her body and he says he will be pulling out her weeds which would then bring her pleasure, depicted as "ow ow". The singer also seems to be drawn to her confidence, saying she has "got it bad" and "wants it mad". He is convinced he will return to her, showing his resilience to be with her even when he gets burned. The lyrics suggest that the singer is doggedly pursuing Rapunzel, despite the potential for rejection and failure.
Line by Line Meaning
Been a while, and I been missing you much
It's been a long time since we've been together and I've been yearning for your touch
Hello there Rapunzel girl dont you hear me ringing off your bell
Hey Rapunzel, can't you hear me calling out for you?
Imma climb up through your window then still
I'll sneak into your room through the window
Let down your hair I come for tha knock knock kill
Lower your hair so I can come in and do what I came here for
Hi there Rapunzel well girl wont ya come outta ya shell
Hey Rapunzel, why don't you come out of your shell and spend some time with me?
Imma fire hard at ya like a Haskell
I'll come at you hard like a powerful program
Cause I dont want to wait in vain for da knock knock kill
I don't want to waste any time before getting what I came for
Face down what Im impressed with the princess
You're impressing me with your beauty
Turn around hot I confess ya got my interest
Your attractiveness has captured my attention
Wet sunshine I need the herb without tha seed
I need some good marijuana without the seeds
Im in ya garden pulling ya weeds ow ow
I'm in your garden picking out the bad parts
On da floor she got it bad she want it mad
She's really into it and wants it badly
Hard core say it more more and more
Really intense, say and do more and more
Ma name is I shall return
My name is I will come back
Ya man a no my concern
I don't care about your man
I get burned and a still wont learn
I keep getting hurt but I won't change my ways
In a situation like this I believe its always my turn
In a situation like this, I think it's always about me and what I want
Contributed by Ethan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.