Toronto singer Snow back on top with latest disc Nominated for Juno, 10 years after breakthrough
Reggae-pop rapper Snow’s problem is one many singers would love to have: Toronto radio stations have followed “Legal,” the hit song from his latest album Two Hands Clapping, with competing singles.
While Flow 93.5 plays the hip-hop inflected “That’s My Life,” CHUM-FM favours the adult contemporary ballad “Lonely Song” and KISS 92.5 FM spins “Missing You” a melodic urban track.
“It’s confusing for me too,” says Snow. “People come up and tell me they like my new song and I’m like ‘Which one?’ But, I can’t complain if they’re playing them all.”
Especially since his current popularity recalls his 1993 debut 12 Inches Of Snow and its hit track “Informer,” which sold eight million copies worldwide and entered the Guinness Book Of World Records as the biggest selling reggae single and highest charting reggae single in history. Long before the crossover success of Shaggy and Sean Paul, an Irish-Canadian kid held the No.1 spot on Billboard’s singles charts for seven weeks with a dancehall track.
Three moderately successful albums followed and now Two Hands Clapping is up for a Juno for Best Reggae Recording, the category Snow christened nine years ago.
“When I came out (the industry) didn’t know what to do,” explains the low-key, denim-clad artist over lunch at a Queen St. W. restaurant. “Reggae was not even a category in the Junos. They should have realized long before that it was good music.”
It’s music young Darrin O’Brien was introduced to by Jamaican friends in the multiracial North York housing project where he grew up.
“I was into the singers like Cocoa Tea and Tenor Saw more than DJs like Shabba,” he recalls. Although his most noted songs are the ones featuring his delivery of rapid-fire patois, he croons just as effectively.
Snow’s last disc, Mind On The Moon, was almost straight pop. But, while it may have satisfied a creative urge and received critical acclaim, fans didn’t rush to the cash registers. So this time around he utilized Shaggy producers Dave and Tony Kelly and yielded a dancehall, pop and r’n’b album that is mature and light-hearted – kind of like him.
Shy and introspective, the amateur astronomer has a penchant for corny jokes and is given to eccentricities both current (not being seen without a hat) and long-time (staying up nights and sleeping days). Bouncing his knees nervously throughout the interview he gives his age as 27 U.S., 500 Jamaican and 32 Canadian. The playful entertainer seems far removed from his thuggish past. He blames a taste for whiskey for the explosive behaviour that landed him in jail on an assault charge.
“I was really stupid on alcohol, I couldn’t control it,” he explains.
Called a “scumbag” by a judge and prohibited for a time from entering the U.S. to tour because of various criminal charges, the Grade 8 dropout took drastic measures when he realized he was in danger of losing the only job he ever had.
“No rehab, not one day at a time, I just quit,” he reveals.
Snow gave up drinking six years ago; cigarettes and fast food followed more recently. The occasional golfer has since packed 20 pounds on his 6’1′ frame. He talks about working out, but so far is up to calf raises in the shower.
Although “Informer” was written about attempted murder charges he was eventually acquitted of, his songs don’t glorify the illicit behaviour.
“I’m not into the bling bling either,” he says. “If you’re rapping about shoes, you need to give your head a shake. Kids in my community can’t afford $300 shoes unless they steal them. If you’re going to bling, do it with something cheaper.”
Snow has had the same friends since childhood and he lives in a condo not far from the old neighbourhood. But these days a night with the boys consists of sipping ginger ale, tuning into the hockey game and playing the board game Risk.
The only thing left to complete the choirboy image is a wedding band for Tamei, his girlfriend of 17 years and mother of their 7-year-old daughter Justuss.
“Me no believe in dem things,” scoffs Snow slipping into patois to make his anti-establishment point. “I tell her that marriage is one step closer to divorce. Now we’re two steps away from that. We don’t need anybody to tell us that we’re legal.”
If you’re downtown this morning you can catch a free concert by Snow at Union Station’s Great Hall at 11: 30 a.m. The performance is part of festivities surrounding the departure of a train taking Juno nominees from Toronto to Ottawa for Sunday’s awards show.