Here Comes The Hotstepper – English Lyrics

• By: Ini Kamoze

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and 'Here Comes The Hotstepper' by Ini Kamoze is a vibrant and fun place to start with Jamaican Patois. The song is a brilliant mix of English and Patois, allowing you to pick up on the rhythm, slang, and cultural references of Jamaica. Its catchy lyrics and infectious beat make it an enjoyable way to learn about the expressive and dynamic nature of the language, all while grooving to a 90s classic.

[English]

Hit it

Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah,

na na nah, na na nah, na na na nah

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Big up the crew in-a de area, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

No, no, we don't die

Yes, we multiply

Anyone test will hear the fat lady sing

Act like you know, Rico

I know what Bo don't know

Touch them up and go, uh-oh

Ch-ch-chang-chang

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Excuse me mister officer, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

Extraordinary

Juice like a strawberry

Money to burn baby, all of the time

Cut to fit is me

Fit to cut is she

Come juggle with me, I say every time

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Dial emergency number, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah, na na nah,

na na nah, na na na nah

It's how we do it man

Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah, na na nah,

na na nah, na na na nah

Start like a jackrabbit

Finish in front of it

On the night is jack, that's it, understand

I'm the daddy of the mack daddy

His are left in gold, maybe

Ain't no homie gonna play me, top celebrity man

Murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Excuse me mister officer, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

No, no, we don't die

Yes, we multiply

Anyone test will hear the fat lady sing

Act like you know, 'G' go

I know what Bo don't know

Touch them up and go, uh-oh

Ch-ch-chang-chang

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Big up the crew in-a de area, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah, na na nah,

na na nah, na na na nah, yeah man

Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah,

na na nah, na na nah, na na na nah, right

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

Big up all crew bow ya, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

I'm the lyrical danger, murderer

Pick up the crew in-a the area, murderer

Still love you like that, murderer

Here comes the Hotstepper

I'm the lyrical gangster

I'm a live in-a me danger

Still love you like that

Hey

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hotstepper /hɒtˌstɛpər/ C1	noun - a person who moves confidently and stylishly, often in a musical or dance context
murderer /ˈmɜrdərə/ B2	noun - a person who commits murder
lyrical /ˈlɪrɪkəl/ B2	adjective - relating to lyrics or expressing feeling in a poetic way
gangster /ˈgæŋstər/ B2	noun - a member of a criminal gang
crew /kruː/ A2	noun - a group of people working together
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something
die /daɪ/ A2	verb - to stop living
multiply /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/ B1	verb - to increase in number or quantity
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with your voice
fire /faɪər/ B1	verb - to shoot a weapon or to send out bullets or shots
burn /bɜrn/ B2	verb - to be on fire or to cause something to catch fire
danger /ˈdeɪndʒər/ B2	noun - the possibility of harm or injury

Key Grammar Structures

• Here comes the hotstepper, murderer

  ➔ Third-person singular present tense

  ➔ The verb "comes" is in the third-person singular present tense because the subject is "the hotstepper" (singular). It follows the rule of adding '-s' to the verb in this tense for singular subjects.

• I'm the lyrical gangster, murderer

  ➔ Contraction of "I am"

  ➔ "I'm" is a contraction, joining the pronoun "I" and the verb "am". It's a common feature in informal speech and song lyrics.

• Big up the crew in-a de area, murderer

  ➔ Use of dialect/slang and omission of prepositions

  ➔ "In-a de area" is a dialectal or slang variation of "in the area." The preposition 'in' is sometimes combined or altered in certain dialects. This also highlight simplification of grammar.

• No, no, we don't die

  ➔ Negative form of the present simple tense with a plural subject

  ➔ "We don't die" is the negative form of "we die" in the present simple. The auxiliary verb "do" is used with "not" to form the negation.

• Yes, we multiply

  ➔ Present simple tense with plural subject.

  ➔ The sentence "Yes, we multiply" uses the present simple tense to express a general truth or fact about the group 'we'. The verb 'multiply' remains in its base form because the subject is plural.

• Anyone test will hear the fat lady sing

  ➔ Conditional sentence type 1 (future real conditional)

  ➔ This sentence follows the structure: "If + present simple, will + base form of the verb". It expresses a real possibility in the future. Here "anyone test" equals "If anyone tests".

• Act like you know, Rico

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ "Act like you know" is a command or instruction. The subject (you) is implied, and the verb is in its base form.

• Touch them up and go, uh-oh

  ➔ Imperative mood (omission of subject)

  ➔ The phrase "Touch them up and go" uses verbs in the imperative mood. The implied subject is "you," but it's omitted for brevity and directness.