(AllHipHop News) Actress/singer Rita Wilson is still pinching herself over her unlikely new collaboration with hip-hop “legends” Naughty By Nature.
The “Jingle All the Way” star has teamed up with the rappers to release a remix of their classic 1990s single “Hip Hop Hooray,” with proceeds benefiting the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund to aid artists affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Wilson reveals she initially recorded a video of herself performing the track she originally memorized for the 2019 movie “Boy Genius” just for a little fun during her battle with the flu-like disease, from which her husband Tom Hanks also suffered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc5UfsM9c9M
She was stunned when Naughty By Nature themselves gave her rendition the thumbs up online.
Their positive response gave her the idea to revamp the tune for charity – and she’s still stunned at the turn of events.
Gushing about the tune on Twitter, Wilson wrote, “Hip Hop Hooray is like modern-day Shakespeare. I 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.
Hip Hop Hooray is like modern day Shakespeare. I 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.
— Rita Wilson (@RitaWilson) April 6, 2020
“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. 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
@naughtybynature commented about it, I couldn’t believe it. What a joy to be doing this remix with legends of the Hip-Hop world.”
The song, due for release on Friday, has since also earned the 63-year-old the praise of fellow hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill, who responded to the single release news on Twitter with a simple, “Respect.”.
“Thank you!!!!!!! Back at ya!!!!” Wilson replied.
Tomorrow. @naughtybynature pic.twitter.com/zP7jD4jQor
— Rita Wilson (@RitaWilson) April 5, 2020