Last month, while in quarantine in Australia after contracting the coronavirus, Rita Wilson posted a video of herself rapping along to Naughty By Nature’s 1992 hip-hop anthem, “Hip Hop Hooray”. The clip went viral, caught the attention of Naughty By Nature themselves, and now they’ve joined forces with Wilson to release an official remix in benefit of COVID-19 relief efforts.
“Hip Hop Hooray Remix” will be released widely on all digital/streaming platforms this Friday, April 10th, with net profits going to the MusiCares Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund to help those in the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Below, you can stream the remix via YouTube.
In a statement, Wilson likened “Hip Hop Hooray” to “modern day Shakespeare.” She said she “originally learned the song for one of the most fun roles I ever played in the film Boy Genius. It took me a month to learn because it’s so complex and nuanced; it was like training for a marathon. The rhythms and tempos are so unique and creative.”
“When I was quarantined and recovering from COVID-19 I wanted to see if I still remembered it, kind of like a brain exercise,” Wilson explained. “To my surprise I did. I thought it would be fun to put it on my Instagram to show people I was doing okay and to make them smile. When Naughty By Nature commented about it, I couldn’t believe it. What a joy to be doing this remix with legends of the Hip-Hop world. I’m forever grateful for their generosity of spirit and for being able to raise money together for MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.”
In their own statement, Naughty By Nature added, “We are honored to have Rita Wilson recite our song. We were totally shocked she could rap the verses so well. We were aware she contracted COVID-19, and was quarantined along with her husband Tom. The next thing we know, everyone began to inbox us her Instagram. We are honored to be part of the remix of our classic song to raise awareness and help fight the coronavirus. Thanks again to Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks for embracing us, and for helping us take the unexpected viral moment further for such a great cause.”
Rita Wilson and Naughty By Nature Release Remix of “Hip Hop Hooray”: Stream
Alex Young