Posts with the: informer tag.

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Forecast Calling For Snow

Source: Ashante Infantry, www.thestar.com

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.

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Snow Gets By With Help From A Little Friend

Source: www.chartattack.com

Justuss & SnowJustuss and Snow sing together.During a recent performance at the second annual KISS 92.5 Fan’s Choice Awards, Canadian artist Snow was joined by a very special guest. Justuss, his seven-year-old daughter, appeared onstage and chimed in with her dad on his new single, ‘Legal’. The father-daughter duet was a hit among the young audience, even if one of them did steal the show.

‘She got a bigger response than I did,’ Snow admits. ‘When I got off the stage, people were like, ‘Good job!’ to her and they didn’t say nothing to me and I got all jealous and stuff. It was beautiful.’

Although best known for his 1993 reggae hit, ‘Informer’, Snow claims that he’s ‘not really a dancehall artist. I’ve always been known to mix it up.’ His latest album, Two Hands Clapping, is no exception; it incorporates many influences including R&B, pop and rap. Overall, however, the album finds Snow exploring dancehall reggae.

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Snow Cuts Demo With Blu Cantrell Team

Source: jam.canoe.ca

Blu CantrellToronto rapper/singer Snow has been working on tracks for his next album, including writing stints with Atlanta-based RedZone Entertainment, the team of writers and producers whose credits include recent chart success Blu Cantrell.

‘We’re working with producers to go back towards what Snow was originally, and that is to bring out the urban artist,’ explains Snow’s U.S.-based manager Sam Kling, who also handles Elwood.

Snow, whose real name is Darrin O’Brien, was in Atlanta from Sept. 26 to 29, working with RedZone’s co-founder Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, who has worked with such acts as Mya, Tamia, Tyrese, Ginuwine, and 98 Degrees. He also served as executive producer on Atlanta R&B singer Blu Cantrell’s Arista debut, ‘So Blu’.

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Snow Hits On A Cold Night

Source: James Reaney, www.lfpress.com

SnowWith the temperature sliding down toward single digits, it was no problem to see Snow in the forecast at the Western Fair grandstand.

But Snow, the Toronto reggae, hip-hop artist who is Darrin O’Brien when he’s off-stage, had to earn his top spot on the bill after a hot opening set from emergency special guest Kardinal Offishall and his hip-hop crew.

Snow moved up to the closing spot on last night’s bill when soul pop group soulDecision cancelled late Thursday due to transportation problems in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Both singers shared their reaction to the attacks and the emotions they’ve brought out to the crowd, estimated at 600 fans.

Snow stopped his set to say how music stood out against such violence and hatred. ‘We don’t want to do that (hate). We want to do this,’ Snow said. ‘It’s great to have all different races and all different colours together,’ he said, gesturing to his band and then around the audience. (Snow is white and his band includes blacks and whites).

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Darrin O’Brien Is As Sober And Soft As A Snowflake

Source: Marcus Maleus, www.westerngazette.ca

SnowConsidering the inexplicable popularity of Snow’s breakthrough single ‘Informer’ in the early 90s, many thought it would be the beginning and end of commercial success for the rap/reggae musician from Scarborough, Ontario.

Snow, also known as Darrin O’Brien, spent his early days listening to reggae music and attempting to make out the often mumbled lyrics. Growing up in rough and tumble Scarborough gave him realistic inspiration for hard rap/reggae music. Despite this, he insists he never came out with any particularly negative music.

‘Informer,’ the catchy reggae tune riddled with, at times, un-decipherable lyrics, proved to be an astounding success in both Canada and the United States. The song made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records twice. Once, as the highest selling reggae single in United States history and again as the highest charting reggae single in United Kingdom history.

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