Darrin Kenneth O'Brien (born October 30, 1969), known by his stage name Snow, is a Canadian

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

musician, rapper and singer. His 1992 single "

Informer An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...

" spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.''Billboard''

Allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

(Retrieved March 3, 2010)

Early life

Snow was born and raised in the

North York North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a popu ...

district of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, one of four children born to an Irish-Canadian cabdriver and a homemaker. Following his parents' divorce, he was raised by his mother in the Allenbury Gardens public housing project where, he says, he was fascinated with the gangster lifestyle, fell in with a tough Irish-Canadian group and became involved in a cycle of fighting, drinking and stealing. He never learned to read properly and dropped out of school while in the 9th grade. As he was growing up, he had a strong interest in

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

but, in 1983, there was an influx of Jamaican immigrants to the neighborhood, his interest turned to

music and he became adept at the use of the Jamaican dialect, or

Jamaican Patois Jamaican Patois (; locally rendered Patwah and called Jamaican Creole by linguists) is an English-based creole language with West African influences, spoken primarily in Jamaica and among the Jamaican diaspora. A majority of the non-English wo ...

. He developed his own style of music, by blending

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

and reggae with rock and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

. In 1987, Snow served eight months of a one-year sentence after pleading guilty to beating a person with a crowbar during a bar brawl. Upon his release in January 1988, the Jamaican-born DJ Marvin Prince saw O'Brien

deejaying A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

at a party and the two became friends. For the next few years, they practiced in Prince's basement, and played parties, with Snow providing vocals and Prince playing records. Prince, who would claim that he helped Snow refine his reggae singing and use of the Jamaican dialect, and that he came up with the name 'Snow', told the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' that they passed around a lot of tapes but could not get Snow signed because he was white. In 1988, Snow was involved in an incident at a North York pub, in which two people were stabbed. Other people in the group pointed the finger at him, and he was charged with two counts of attempted murder. Rather than tell authorities who the perpetrator was, Snow served eight months in jail before a jury acquitted him on both counts. While he was in jail, he went to school and wrote music, which he performed for fellow inmates. One song was called "Informer".

Career

On a trip to New York, Prince was able to pitch Snow's music to rap star M.C. Shan. In 1991, Snow went to New York, where Shan introduced him to music producers David Eng and Steve Salem. Snow signed a contract to record on their Motorjam/ Elektra record label, then they recorded his debut album ''

12 Inches of Snow ''12 Inches of Snow'' is the debut album by Canadian reggae musician Snow, released in 1993. Edmond Leary and MC Shan produced the entire album, apart from one track which was produced by John Ficarrotta. The album was produced shortly before Snow ...

''. The album had to be recorded quickly, because Snow had to return to Canada and report to prison. ''12 Inches of Snow'' was released in 1992, while Snow was in prison. Shan, Eng, Salem, and Prince promoted it and, by the time Snow was released, the single "

", was a chart-topping hit. ''12 Inches of Snow'' sold over 8 million copies worldwide, with the "Informer" single remaining number 1 on the American ''Billboard'' charts for seven consecutive weeks. "Informer" has been recorded twice in the ''

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' as the best-selling reggae single in US history, as well as the highest charting reggae single in history. A second single, "Girl I've Been Hurt", reached Number 19 on the Hot 100. In Japan, Snow received the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

's 1994

Japan Gold Disc Award The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...

for New Artist of the Year.

Origin of stage name

One of Snow's neighbouring Jamaican families, the Browns, first introduced him to reggae, Snow began borrowing and ordering reggae dub tapes to perform over. After he befriended Marvin Prince, Prince gave O'Brien the stage name Snow with a phrased

backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...

meaning "Super Notorious Outrageous Whiteboy". Snow never claimed the title himself and simply continued to perform with the stage name of Snow. The origin of Snow's stage name would become a central issue in the legal battle between Prince and O'Brien.

Legal disputes over production of ''12 Inches of Snow''

While touring as Snow's DJ in December 1994, Marvin Prince abruptly left the tour after discovering that Snow, according to court documents, "was receiving more money from management than he was." While listed as only the writer of the song "Runway" on the ''12 Inches of Snow'' album, Prince claimed to have co-written five songs and co-produced the album with Shan, Eng, and Salem. Prince alleged that Eng and Salem provided "a draft of a multi-album production and recording agreement" to both Snow and himself. Unable to understand the contract, Snow allegedly "sent a copy to his mother to get legal advice from her friend" and Prince "never saw the agreement again." Moreover, Prince claimed to have entered an "oral agreement" with Snow implying that the two would share profits from the album "fifty-fifty". The first agreement, Prince alleged, occurred "in 1990, when the two men began working together on songs in Prince's basement and he "allegedly suggested to" Snow, "if something comes out of this, let's be partners." The second oral agreement, according to Prince, took place in August 1991 while Snow auditioned for Shan. Snow referred to Prince as his partner in a promotional video, but claimed to have used the term "only in the slang sense." Prince "admitted that these discussions were not concrete; the parties never organized a formal business plan, nor was plaintiff in New York to advance defendant's career." Shan, Eng, and Salem testified that they were unaware of a partnership between Snow and Prince, and Shan denied that Prince co-produced ''12 Inches of Snow'' and co-wrote the five songs in question. "Informer", for example, was officially written by Snow, Shan, and composer Edmond Leary. Years later, after Snow and Prince had their falling out, Prince unsuccessfully sued Snow for compensation. While Prince had initially been awarded a $1.5 million settlement by a jury, the court overturned the original ruling and dismissed Prince's suit on the grounds that he had "no viable claims" to a partnership with Snow. In a 2019 interview, Prince recounted his history with Snow and described how he mentored, recorded demos for, scheduled showcase performances for, and ultimately, arranged for Snow to audition for MC Shan. Prince recounted how he and Snow wrote "Informer" over the phone while Snow was serving his sentence at

Maplehurst Correctional Complex Maplehurst Correctional Complex (french: Complexe Correctional de Maplehurst) is a correctional facility located in Milton, Ontario for women and men 18 years of age and older. It is a combined maximum security detention centre for remanded priso ...

. Prince recalled playing

Junior Reid Delroy "Junior" Reid (born 6 June 1963) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for his featuring on the songs " One Blood", " It's Okay (One Blood)" and "This Is Why I'm Hot", as well as being the lead vocalist for Black Uhuru ...

’s "Foreign Mind" over the phone, and Snow used the track's flute melody as the basis for "Informer". Parts of the first verse and third verse of "Informer", according to Prince, were reworked from

Eek-A-Mouse Eek-A-Mouse (born Ripton Joseph Hylton, 19 November 1957) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the earliest artists to be described as a "singjay".Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide To Reggae, 3rd edn.", Rough Guides, ...

’s performance of "Tell Them" at

Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, befo ...

1981. Originally, Prince alleges, the final verse of "Informer" was written and performed by a second vocalist named “Little Red.” Prince maintains that the judge who overturned the original ruling did so illegally, and he believes race played a role in the judge’s decision. Co-producer and co-writer Edmond Leary later claimed M.C. Shan unfairly received most of the production credits for ''12 Inches of Snow''. He told

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

, "So actually, if you want the truth of the matter, if we hadn’t done it equally and had to split up the money I would have gotten 70% of writer’s oyaltiesoff that album they probably would have split up 30, because I wrote most of that album. Most of the words were mine, and the ideas and structures and backgrounds in the vocal booth with me telling him what keys to sing the harmonies in and what have you. So I had a lot to do with that sound that became so popular and went Platinum." After struggling with a cocaine addiction and homelessness, in 2013 Leary was a street performer at

Madison Square Park Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, fourth President of the United States. ...

and Union Square.

International success

In 1994, Snow collaborated with

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

Junior Vasquez Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern, August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention. Career Mattern moved to New York City a ...

's ''Homegrown'' and

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separa ...

's ''Pop Goes the Dancehall'' remix of "

Girls Just Want to Have Fun "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written, recorded and performed by American musician Robert Hazard, who released it as a single in 1979. It is best known for the version of American singer Cyndi Lauper, who covered the song in 1983. I ...

", retitled "Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)". Eng had a studio in Jamaica and, in 1994, Snow recorded his second album ''Murder Love'' in Jamaica, Canada, and New York. While not a commercial success in North America, the album featured Snow performing with reggae and dancehall musicians

Ninjaman Desmond John Ballentine (born January 24, 1966), better known as Ninjaman, and sometimes as Don Gorgon is a Jamaican dancehall deejay and actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style. In 2017, he ...

Half Pint Half Pint (born 11 November 1961), and sometimes credited Lindon Andrew Roberts,Josephs, Karla (2012)Big deal for Half Pint", ''Jamaica Observer'', 7 June 2012, retrieved 8 June 2012 is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer. Biograph ...

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most ...

Beenie Man Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Mus ...

, Dave Kelly, and

. The " Anything for You" remix became a club favorite and, according to ''Billboards Elena Oumano, made Snow a figure of respect on the Jamaican music scene. "Anything For You" became the top-selling single in Jamaica in 1995 and " Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We" also reached the number one slot in Jamaica. ''Murder Love'' proved to be a popular album in Asia, with the single " Sexy Girl" remaining on Japan's Top Singles chart for 16 weeks, ultimately reaching number one. The success of ''Murder Love'' allowed Snow to tour Asia and collaborate with Thai rap artist

Joey Boy Joey Boy ( th, โจอี้ บอย; born 1975) or Apisit Opasaimlikit ( th, อภิสิทธิ์ โอภาสเอี่ยมลิขิต, ), is a Thai hip hop singer and producer known as The Godfather of Thai Hip Hop. ...

. In 1996, Eng established an office in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

, founded Dimsum Entertainment, and included Snow in this expansion. In 1996, Eng produced Joey Boy's album ''Fun, Fun, Fun''. Snow performed on the chart-topping Thai single "Fun, Fun, Fun" and appeared in the music video. Joey Boy appeared on Snow's Thai single "Me and Joey". In 2008, Snow also featured Joey Boy on the track "Catch a Kick". By the end of 1996, ''Murder Loves "Si We Dem Nuh Know We" received a Juno nomination for Best Reggae Recording. Overall, the album produced three music videos: " Anything For You", "Anything For You (All Star Cast Remix)", and "Sexy Girl". In the 1995 film ''Klash'', Snow appears performing "Rivertown". Snow followed up ''Murder Love'' with an album named after his daughter, ''Justuss''. The first single " Boom Boom Boogie" took Asia by storm, achieving gold status with the music video appearing on MTV Japan five to six times a day. Released in the United States and Canada in 1997, the single "If This World Were Mine" failed to chart but the video regularly appeared on The Box. The album reached number 12 on the U.S. reggae charts and in 1998 was nominated for Best Reggae album at the

Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

in Vancouver, British Columbia. In late 1997, Snow released a "Greatest Hits" compilation, called ''The Greatest Hits of Snow''. In 1999, Snow reunited with M.C. Shan, producing the album ''

Cooler Conditions ''Cooler Conditions'' is the fourth studio album by Canadian reggae musician Snow. Released only in Japan, many of the tracks later appeared on the more widely released '' Mind on the Moon'' album. The tracks ''Someday Somehow'', " Everybody Wa ...

'' in Japan. The only single, "The Plumb Song", spent eight weeks on the Japan Singles chart, peaking at number 27. It was recorded at

Metalworks Studios Metalworks Studios is a music recording studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1978 by Gil Moore of the Canadian rock group, Triumph. Over a span of 40 years, Metalworks has been the recipient of Canadian Music Week's ' ...

Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

Return to the Canadian charts

In 2000, Snow signed to

Virgin Music Canada Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

. Later that year, he released the album '' Mind on the Moon''. The single "

Everybody Wants to Be Like You "Everybody Wants to Be Like You" is a song by Canadian pop-reggae singer Snow from his 2000 album, '' Mind on the Moon''. The song became one of Snow's highest-peaking hits in Canada, reaching number two on both the Canadian Singles Chart and th ...

" landed Snow back on the Canadian Singles chart and earned him three Juno nominations. In 2002, Snow worked with

Shaggy Shaggy may refer to: People *Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer * Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse * Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspor ...

and

Blu Cantrell Blu Cantrell (born Tiffany Cobb; March 16, 1976) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. Cantrell rose to fame in 2001, with the release of her debut single, " Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)", which peaked at number two on the US ''Billboa ...

's producer to record '' Two Hands Clapping''. "

Legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

", the first single, reached number 13 on the

Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart was a chart compiled by the American-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan, which began publication in November 1996. It was published every Wednesday and also published on Thursday by '' Jam!''/Canoe. I ...

2013–present

In 2013, after

Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...

CEO Marissa Mayer complained about the company's "hold" music during a fourth-quarter earnings call, Snow and the Jingle Punks recorded a much publicized jingle for Yahoo. The lyrics went, "You're on hold / Hold on at Yahoo / Gimme a second while I patch you through," goes the first verse. "The CEO didn't like the hold music / So Daddy Snow wrote this jam for you." In summer 2014 while in Miami, Florida, Snow signed with Bugatti Music Entertainment and teamed up with Grammy-winning producers

Cool & Dre Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo are best known for their work with Terror Squad founder Fat Joe, first ...

, Kent Jones and

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...

and began recording again. On October 2, 2014, Snow's new single "Shame" was released, featuring

Mykal Rose Michael Rose (born 11 July 1957) is a Grammy award-winning reggae singer from Jamaica. He is known for a successful tenure with Black Uhuru from 1977 to 1984, and he has worked regularly with Dennis Brown, Big Youth, The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs ...

(

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru ( Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful per ...

). On October 11, 2014, Snow announced that all proceeds from "Shame" will be donated to the fight against cancer. On June 19, 2017, Snow was awarded the Socan Classics 100,000 Radio Performances in Canada for commemorating more than 100k times his music has played on radio. On January 23, 2019, Puerto Rican rapper

Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...

released the reggaeton and dancehall song "

Con Calma "Con Calma" ( English: "Calmly") is a song by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee featuring Canadian rapper Snow. The single was released on January 24, 2019, by El Cartel Records alongside a music video directed by Marlon Peña and filmed in Los ...

" featuring Snow, which has been described as a remake or reimagination of "Informer". The single peaked at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Snow's first entry on the chart since 1993, and reached number one on the US

Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, rad ...

list. Internationally, the track topped the charts of five Spanish-language countries and reached the top 10 in 10 others in Latin America. Across Europe, the song entered the charts of numerous countries, peaking at number 14 in Italy and number 23 in Switzerland. In the Netherlands, the song rose to number one in April 2019. "Con Calma" also became Snow's first entry on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

chart after debuting at number 99 in February 2019. It eventually peaked at number 6. On October 17, 2019, Snow and his wife Tara O'Brien attended the 5th Annual Latin American Music Awards in Hollywood, California at the

Dolby Theatre The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Si ...

. Snow was nominated for three awards.

In February 2020, Snow won four awards Song of the Year with Daddy Yankee for "Con Calma" at ''Premio Lo Nuestro Awards.'' In March 2020, Snow was given the Pop Music Award from SOCAN. Snow and Daddy Yankee won the Top Latin Song of the Year at the 2020 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, and "

" won big at the Latin ''Billboard'' Music Awards on October 21, 2020, with Snow taking home six awards. Snow attended the awards with Tara O'Brien in Florida.

Television and film appearances

Drew Carey Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, he gained stardom in his own sitcom, ''The Drew Carey Show'', an ...

, a long time Snow fan, had Snow record a reggae version of ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized ...

'' theme song, "Moon Over Parma", for the series' eighth and ninth seasons. In 2001, Snow played a prison guard in the film ''

Prison Song ''Toxicity'' is the second studio album by Armenian-American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on September 4, 2001, through American Recordings and Columbia Records. Expanding on their 1998 eponymous debut, it incorporated more mel ...

''. Snow appears as himself in the 2012 film '' The Movie Out Here'' produced by Canadian brewing company Kokanee and

Alliance Films Alliance Films (formerly Alliance Entertainment, Alliance Communications, Alliance Atlantis Releasing Ltd, Motion Picture Distribution LP and also known as Alliance Vivafilm in Quebec and also known simply as Alliance) was a Canadian motion pictur ...

. In 2015, Snow and his then-fiancée, Tara Elizabeth, appeared on a CBC webseries called ''True Dating Stories'' to tell the story of one of their first dates: A walk in a ravine turned police operation. Their episode was the most watched and the entire series won Best Web Series at the Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

Ethnicity and Canadian identity

In ''Ethnicity, Politics, and Public Policy: Case Studies in Canadian Diversity'', Rebecca J. Haines examined Snow as a symbol of Canadian ethnic identity. Instead of hiding his "whiteness" and "Canadian-ness," Haines argues, Snow proudly boasts of his Irish heritage and pride in his family, the O'Briens, and traces his reggae roots to the diverse community of Allenbury. While other artists, such as

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

, don a

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

because of its resemblance to cannabis, "in the video for his single "Anything for You", shot on location in Jamaica, the white Canadian reggae artist Snow is seen wearing the same jersey, perhaps in an attempt to proclaim his Canadian roots among the all-black cast of this video." Many reggae purists viewed Snow, along with

Ini Kamoze Ini Kamoze ( , born Cecil Campbell; 9 October 1957) is a Jamaican reggae artist who began his career in the early 1980s and rose to prominence in 1994 with the signature song "Here Comes the Hotstepper". The single topped the US ''Billboard'' ...

Diana King Diana King (born 8 November 1970) is a Jamaican-American singer-songwriter who performs a mixture and fusion of reggae, reggae fusion and dancehall. They were born to an Indo-Jamaican mother and an Afro-Jamaican father. They are best known f ...

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

and

Shabba Ranks Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon; 17 January 1966) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throughout his prominence in his home cou ...

, as another example of "watered down" commercial reggae that rose to international popularity in the 1990s. The

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...

show ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in a ...

'', parodied "Informer" by featuring fellow Canadian

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...

as Snow in a sketch titled "Imposter". In 1996,

WBLS WBLS (107.5 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary formatted FM radio station, licensed to New York City. It is currently owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared services agreement, along with sister stations ...

New York

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

Pat McKay observed, "purists have a problem with a non-Jamaican doing reggae. But I choose to think of it as the greatest compliment to reggae culture, and Snow is a genuine, dedicated artist. He has a fine singing voice, he's a great writer, and he very generously includes other artists in all of his work. His authenticity amplifies the realities of his generation, and his sensitivity conjures up intimacy with all of his love songs."

Personal life

In November 2009, Snow's then-common law wife and the subject of many of his songs, Tamei Edberg, was diagnosed with cancer; she died three weeks later on November 27, 2009, at the age of 41. With Tamei, Snow has a daughter, Justuss born in April of 1996 and of whom he was inspired to name his third album after respectively. In 2018 Snow became a grandfather, as Justuss gave birth to a son, Lyrix Tre. Justuss was featured on the song "J Dot" when she was six years old on his sixth and most recent full-length album to date, Two Hands Clapping (2002). He also has another daughter from another relationship, who was born in January of the same year (making his two daughters just three months apart). On June 24, 2010, Snow held a fundraiser called "ClosURE For Cancer" at Alley Catz Restaurant in Toronto during which they raised $15,000. Snow also started his own non-governmental organization called "Pure Snow NGO," which assists "tenants living in non-profit housing". In May 2016, Snow married model/actress Tara Elizabeth Singh at St. Anselm Catholic Church in Toronto. CTV covered the ceremony and local radio station KISS 92.5 interviewed the newlyweds on ''The Roz and Mocha Show'' on May 22, 2016.

Discography

Studio albums Compilation albums * ''The Greatest Hits of Snow'' (1997) Remix albums * ''Best Remix of Snow'' (1998) Singles

Awards and nominations

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2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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" , Latin Rhythm Song of The Year , , , - , Streaming Song of The Year , , , - , Airplay Song of The Year , , , - , Hot Latin Song of The Year , , , - , Hot Latin Song Vocal Event of The Year , , , - , Digital Song of The Year , , , - , Crossover Artist of The Year , , , - , Top Latin Song of The Year , , Billboard Music Awards !Ref. , - , rowspan=3,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, Snow , Top Hot 100 Artist - Male , , rowspan=3, , - , "

" , Top Rap Song , , - , ''

'' , Top Reggae Album , , - ,

, Con Calma - Daddy Yankee & Snow , Top Latin Song of The Year , , Juno Awards , - , align="center", 1994 , "

" , Best Reggae Recording , , - , align="center", 1994 , Snow , Best Male Vocalist , , - , align="center", 1994 , ''

'' , Best Album , , - , align="center", 1996 , " Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We" , Best Reggae Recording , , - , align="center", 1998 , " Justuss" , Best Reggae Recording , , - , align="center", 2001 , Snow , Best Male Artist , , - , align="center", 2001 , Snow/Patterson , Best Song Writer , , - , align="center", 2001 , '' Mind on the Moon'' , Best Pop Album , , - , align="center", 2002 , " The Plumb Song" , Best Video , , - , align="center", 2003 , " Two Hands Clapping" , Best Reggae Recording ,

Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...

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2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, Best Urban Fusion/Performance , , -

Lo Nuestro Awards The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...

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, Song of the Year , , - , Single of the Year , , - , Crossover Collaboration of the Year , , - , Urban Song of the Year , , - , Urban Collaboration of the Year , Recording Industry Association of Japan , - , align="center", 1994 , Snow , Best New Recording Artist ,

Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

Video Award , - , align="center", 2020 , "Con Calma Remix" , Socan Pop Music Award , , - , align="center", 2001 , "

" , Much Music Top Video"Songwriters and Publishers," ''Billboard'', February 10, 2001, 48. ,

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1969 births Living people Canadian hip hop singers Canadian male singers Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian reggae musicians Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year winners People from North York Reggae fusion artists Rappers from Toronto