Ian Lewis, co-founder of renowned reggae band inner circle, says the idea for the hit song Bad Boys came to him one morning as he reflected on life from his hillside home in Jamaica. The veteran musician made the revelation while speaking with DJ Sunshine on IRIE FM’s Wake-up Call programme on Tuesday.

Originally released in 1987 on the album One Way, Bad Boys was reissued as a single in Scandinavia in 1991, the song appeared again on the 1992 album Bad to the Bone and was re-released internationally in 1993.

Bad Boys went on to achieve global recognition as the theme song for the television series cops. It was later used as the title theme for the 1995 film Bad Boys and its subsequent sequels.

In March 2025, Inner Circle received a major honour when a street in Miami’s Liberty City was renamed to incorporate the phrase Bad Boys, Bad Boys.

Also in 2025, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity as its catchy hook fueled the viral #footpursuitchallenge on TikTok.

The trend drew participation from couples, police officers, and celebrities, including mr beast and shemar moore.

To date, the track has generated more than two billion combined views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Bad Boys was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (Riaa), in March this year.