(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.
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.
"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.