"Too Hot" is a song recorded by the American band Kool & the Gang for their first Platinum-selling 1979 album Ladies' Night.[1] It was written by George Brown and Kool & the Gang and produced by Eumir Deodato and Kool & the Gang.[1]
In 1995, American rapper Coolio covered the song for his second studio album, Gangsta's Paradise (1995). It was released in October 1995 by Tommy Boy Records as the second single from the album. Major parts of the original were retained, but supplemented by independent rap passages. In the rap passages he also addresses the disease HIV/AIDS. The accompanying music video for "Too Hot" was directed by David Nelson.[8]
British columnist for Dotmusic, James Masterton viewed the song as "another extremely commercial piece of Gangsta rap and another instant Top 10 hit." He added, "My only query is just who decided to release a record called 'Too Hot' in the middle of a freezing cold January?"[9] Helen Lamont from Smash Hits gave it four out of five, writing, "This is flavour of the fortnight Coolio's remake of an old Kool and the Gang seventies number, and very good it is too. 'Too Hot' is a great dancy tune, along the lines of Godfathers of soul James Brown or James Taylor. You can just see it being played at cool art school discos everywhere, with "individual" types sporting big hats and flares moving to that old skool beat. Groovy, groovy, jazzy, funky, by the way, big man."[10]
In 2004, Kool & the Gang released The Hits: Reloaded album, which features their greatest hits performed by various artists.[39] "Too Hot" was recorded by British singer Lisa Stansfield and released as a promotional single from The Hits: Reloaded in selected European countries in September 2004.[40]