Ini Kamoze has secured another major commercial placement with “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” more than three decades after the Jamaican hit became an international success.
The 1994 recording is being featured in a Verizon television advertising campaign, extending the reach of one of Jamaican music’s most recognizable crossover records to another generation of American viewers.
Ini Kamoze Finds a New Audience With “Hotstepper”
“Here Comes the Hotstepper” became a defining international release for Ini Kamoze during the 1990s and has maintained a presence in popular culture long after its original chart run.
Its appearance in the Verizon campaign demonstrates the continuing commercial appeal of Jamaican recordings that can move beyond their original release cycles and find new audiences through advertising, film, television and digital media.
For Ini Kamoze, the Verizon placement adds another major brand to the song’s commercial history.
Major Brands Continue to Use the Jamaican Hit
This is not the first time “Here Comes the Hotstepper” has been selected for a major advertising campaign.
A remix of the recording was used in Evian’s global Baby & Me campaign in 2013. More recently, Starbucks licensed the song for its We’re on Summer Time television campaign in 2024.
The Verizon campaign continues that pattern, demonstrating how a Jamaican recording released in 1994 can remain commercially relevant decades later.
The placements also introduce the song to audiences who may not have encountered the record during its original release.
A Jamaican Record With Lasting International Reach
For Jamaican music, the continuing use of “Here Comes the Hotstepper” provides another example of the international longevity of reggae and dancehall-influenced recordings.
Songs created in Jamaica have repeatedly travelled far beyond the island through radio, touring, sampling, film, television and commercial licensing.
More than 30 years after its release, “Here Comes the Hotstepper” continues to generate new exposure for Ini Kamoze while remaining connected to the broader international story of Jamaican music.
Its latest Verizon placement is another reminder that a successful Jamaican recording can have a commercial life extending far beyond its original moment.
Verified source: Jamaica Gleaner, September 28, 2026.
