So here in Louisville, Kentucky, last week, this was pretty much the scene. Ice and snow everywhere, schools closed, power out. So, in trying to come up with an ice or snow song, I didn’t think of the obvious choices like “Ice Ice Baby.” No, my mind went to Snow, that now-obscure white rapper who was EVERYWHERE in the early 90s, then seemed to disappear.
So I looked him up on Wiki, and found out what Snow stands for (I had no idea it stood for anything).
Snow was discovered by a Jamaican-born DJ named Marvin Prince, while living in Ajax. The name Snow, a backronym for “Super Notorious Outrageous Whiteboy”, was given to him by Marvin Prince. Prince took Snow to New York City and introduced him to MC Shan, who introduced them both to producer David Kenneth Eng and Steve Salem. Snow eventually signed a contract to record on their Motorjam/Elektra record label. His 1993 debut album was 12 Inches of Snow. MC Shan and Marvin Prince produced the entire album while Snow was imprisoned for a year on an assault charge.
Upon his release from prison, Snow’s first single “Informer,” written by Marvin Prince, became a chart topping hit. The album sold over 8 million records worldwide, with the single from the album “Informer” remaining #1 on the American Billboard charts for seven consecutive weeks. “Informer” has been recorded twice in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best selling reggae single in U.S. history, as well as the highest charting reggae single in history. A second single, “Girl I’ve Been Hurt”, reached #19 on the Hot 100.
Okay, I’ve never heard of that “Girl I’ve Been Hurt” song, either. But he apparently had some hit songs in Canada recently and released another album in 2007.
But he’ll always be best known for this magnificent show of songwriting skills. (Remember when MTV ran the video with the words at the bottom of the screen because nobody could understand them?)
Whats up man! hey yo whats up!
Yeah whats goin on here.
Sick an tired of five-oh runnin up on the block here.
You know what Im sayin?
Yo snow, they came around here lookin for you the other day.
Word? word! bust it!
Chorus
Informer, you no say daddy me snow me Ill go blame,
A licky boom boom down.
Detective mon said daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane,
A licky boom boom down.
Informer, you no say daddy me snow me Ill go blame,
A licky boom boom down.
Detective mon said daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane,
A licky boom boom down.
Police them come an now they blow down me door,
One him come crawl through, through my window,
So then they put me in the back the car at the station,
From that point on me reach my destination,
When the destination reached, it was the east detention, where them
Whipped down me pants, looked up me bottom, so
Chorus
Bigger they are they think they have more power,
Theyre on the phone me say that on (every) hour,
Me for want to use it once an now me call me lover,
Lover who Ill be callin is the one tammy,
An me love her in me heart down to my belly,
Yes me daddy me snow me I feel cool an deadly,
As the one mc shan an the one daddy snow,
Together we-a loveem as a tor-na-do.
Chorus
Listen for me, you better listen for me now.
Listen for me, you better listen for me now.
When me rockin the microphone me rock it steady,
Yes sir, daddy me snow me are the article done.
But in the in an the out of a dance them they say where you come from,
People them say you come from jamaica,
But me born an raised in the ghetto thats the one I want you to know,
Pure black people mon thats all I mon know.
Yeah me shoes are tear up an me toes used to show,
Where me born in on the one toronto, so
Chorus
Come with a nice young lady. intelligent,
Yes shes gentle an irie.
Everywhere me go, me never left her at all.
Yes, its daddy snow me are the roam dance mon.
Roam between a dancin in a in a nation-a.
You never know say daddy me snow me are the boom shakata.
Me never lay-a down flat in that one cardboard box.
Yes say me daddy me snow me Ill go reachin at the top, so…
Chorus
Why would he?
Me sittin round cool with my dibbie dibbie girl,
Police knock my door,
Lick up my pal,
Rough me up an I cant do a thing
Pick up my line, when my telephone ring.
Take me to the station,
Black up my hands.
Trail me down, cuz Im hangin with the snowman,
What Im gonna do,
Im backed an Im trapped,
Slap me in the face an took all o my gap.
They have no clues an they wanna get warmer,
But shan wont turn informer!
See also: Whatever that “Girl I’ve Been Hurt” song is.
Type Writing 