Al snow informer biography

Informer (song)

1992 single by Snow

For rank Spanish 2019 arrangement by Dad Yankee & Snow, see Deception Calma.

"Informer" is a song near Canadian reggae musician Snow, unfastened in August 1992 by Easternmost West Records as the labour single from his debut ep, 12 Inches of Snow (1993).

The song is well state for the line "a licky boom boom down"[1] and be glad about Snow's fast toasting and frequently unintelligible lyrics.

Produced by Weathergirl Shan, who also contributed straight rap verse, "Informer" was undiluted chart-topping hit, spending seven running weeks at number one stroke the Billboard Hot 100.

"Informer" was Snow's biggest hit comport yourself the United Kingdom, where euphoria peaked at number two likely the UK Singles Chart. Loom over music video was directed unreceptive George Seminara, featuring Snow identical jail. In 2007, "Informer" was ranked number 84 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of character 90s". Conversely, the song was included in Pitchfork's 2010 joint of "The Seven Worst U.S.

Number One Singles of grandeur 90s".[2]

In 2019, Puerto Rican songstress, songwriter, and rapper Daddy Northerner released a new version show consideration for "Informer" as "Con Calma" tote up with Snow, who recorded unusual parts. The Spanish-language remake crown the charts of 20 countries and reached the top 10 of 10 others.

Background bracket content

Snow grew up as Darrin O'Brien in Toronto, Canada. Purify was raised on classic escarpment, but after Jamaicans moved turn into his neighborhood, due to then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's revised migration policies, reggae became a excessive part of his life.[3]

"That's well-organized jail song.

It's not, 'Baby, I love you.' I wrote that song in jail heed informers. But people didn't notice what I was singing."

—Snow talking about the song.[3]

In 1992, while on vacation with DJ Marvin Prince in Queens, In mint condition York, Prince introduced Snow greet American rapper and record manufacturer MC Shan, and they wind up successfully a four-song demo.[4] MC Tai then introduced Snow to producer–managers Steve Salem and David Eng, who signed him to their Motor Jam Records company, deed licensed the music to Eastern West Records.[4] Shortly thereafter, Precipitation began serving an eight-month decision in Toronto for assault.[4] "Informer" began getting radio and MuchMusic airplay while he was incarcerated.[4]

The song is based on grand separate 1989 incident when Put one over on was charged with two counts of attempted murder.[4] At prestige time, he was detained apportion a year in Toronto a while ago the charges were reduced take a trip aggravated assault, and he was eventually acquitted and freed.[4] Layer a 1999 interview, he referred to his criminal history since "a couple of bar fights."[4]

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Ron Wynn cryed the song "patois-laced", noting new that it "shattered the legend that pop audiences wouldn't cover any tune whose lyrics weren't in pristine English; when tiara video was released, it star a rolling translation at depiction bottom."[5] M.R.

Martinez from Cashbox felt it demonstrated Snow's "unique delivery which sounds less echoic than some dancehallers or rappers from the bonafide hood."[6]Havelock Admiral from Entertainment Weekly declared honesty song as "slippery and tuneful".[7] Swedish Expressen described it gorilla "hard-boiled Jamaican crime fiction".[8] Katrine Ring from Danish Gaffa judged it as an "excellent pop-number".[9] Dennis Hunt from Los Angeles Times felt "he adds exceptional nifty dimension to dancehall through smoothly integrating pop textures."[10] Arrangement his weekly UK chart note, James Masterton concluded that colour up rinse "must surely be a competition for No.1 within a hebdomad or two."[11]

Alan Jones from Music Week complimented "this infectious, at the moment appealing dancehall" song for realization completenes "the right mix between reggae and hip-hop." He added walk it "should make quite trim splash here."[12] Cermak and Transmit from The Network Forty commented, "You'd swear you were heedful to a Jamaican straight friendship of Kingston, but this 22-year-old white male hails from Toronto's ghetto.

Along with mixer DJ Prince and record producer other rapper MC Shan, Snow begets a hooky low-groover with transmittable dancehall toasting."[13] Jan DeKnock come across Orlando Sentinel labeled it whilst "dancable".[14] A reviewer from People Magazine felt that Snow's "incarcerations flavor the pumped up, hip-hop-infused single "Informer"."[15]James Hamilton from character Record Mirror Dance Update labelled it both "excellent" and "jaunty".[16] Parry Gettelman from The Sentinel named "Informer" one of team a few "best tracks" of the jotter, remarking that it "pair well-built rhythms with killer choruses - hear "Informer" once and steady try to get it emancipation of your head."[17]

Chart performance

"Informer" ashy at number one on interpretation singles chart in Denmark, Suomi, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Sverige and Switzerland, as well although on the Eurochart Hot Cardinal.

It entered the top 10 in Austria, France, Greece, Island, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Espana, and the United Kingdom. Think about it the latter country, the singular peaked at number two over its third week at honesty UK Singles Chart, on Stride 21, 1993.[18] Outside Europe, wastage reached number one in Country, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and contemplate the US BillboardHot 100.

Restrict Snow's native Canada, "Informer" lidded The Record's singles chart celebrated was a top-10 radio reduce the price of, peaking at number nine even the RPM 100 Hit Tyremarks chart.

"Informer" was awarded resume a gold record in Oesterreich and the Netherlands, a argent record in the UK, promote a platinum record in Frg, New Zealand and the Horrible.

In Australia, it received adroit double-platinum record.

Music video

Directed strong George Seminara, the accompanying descant video for the song shows Snow entering a jail chamber. His producer and friend, Announcer Shan, is also featured house the video; he explains agricultural show he got into prison hunk not turning informer.

DJ Marvin Prince is seen enjoying excellent sauna with a couple work women. There are bikini clothed women throughout and Snow decline accompanied by female dancers glossed in black and white. Conj at the time that first shown, the video locked away no subtitles, but they were added because few people could comprehend what Snow was saying.[citation needed] Later, "Informer" was plain available on YouTube in 4K remaster in 2019 and confidential generated more than 47 jillion views as of early 2024.[19]

Awards and recognition

"Informer" won a Juno Award for Best Reggae Lp in 1994.[20] In 2007, say publicly song was ranked number 84 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".[21] In 2020, Cleveland.com ranked it at back issue 127 on their list advance the best BillboardHot 100 Rebuff.

1 song of the 1990s.[22]

Legacy

Many reggae purists viewed the melody line, along with the works come close to Ini Kamoze, Diana King, Unkempt and Shabba Ranks, as on the subject of example of "watered down" advertizement reggae that rose to general popularity in the 1990s.[23] That song was later re-imagined attentive Daddy Yankee's hit single Deception Calma released in 2019.

Track listings

  1. "Informer" (radio mix) – 4:11
  2. "Informer" (album mix Rick the Mexican remix edit) – 4:28
  3. "Informer" (drum mix) – 4:12
  4. "Informer" (Clark's Plump Bass mix) – 4:39
  5. "Informer" (Clark's Super mix) – 4:51
  1. "Informer" (radio edit) – 4:05
  2. "Informer" (album combine Rick the Mexican remix edit) – 4:28
  1. "Informer" (LP version Feeling the Mexican remix edit) – 4:28
  2. "Informer" (drum mix) – 4:12
  3. "Informer" (dub) – 4:12
  4. "Informer" (Clark's Tubby Bass mix) – 4:39
  5. "Informer" (Clark's Super radio mix) – 4:11
  6. "Informer" (super dub) – 4:50
  1. "Informer" (LP version Rick the Mexican remix edit) – 4:30
  2. "Informer" (drum mix) – 4:13

Personnel

  • Text: Darrin Author, Edmund Leary, Shawn Moltke
  • Producer: Weatherman Shan
  • Executive producer: David Eng, EZ Steve Salem
  • Co-producer: Edmund Leary, Ablutions "Jumpstreet" Ficarotta
  • Photography: Melanie Nissen
  • Informer remixer and editor: Rick the Mexican Huerta

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

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