Description

"Informer" is a 1992 single by Canadian reggae musician Snow, featuring MC Shan as guest artist and producer, from his debut album 12 Inches of Snow. The single was released shortly before Snow was imprisoned for a year on an assault charge. Upon his release from prison, it became a chart topping hit, spending seven consecutive weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his biggest hit in the UK, where it reached Number 2, behind two different number one singles."Informer" is a slang term, usually derogatory, for a police informant, who is protected in exchange for information used to solve cases. Another term for it would be snitch. "Informer" won a Juno Award for Best Reggae Recording in 1994. It reached 40th on MuchMoreMusic's list of the top "50 Guilty Pleasures" and was 84th on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s." It also reached 28th on VH1's "Final Countdown Greatest Hip-Hop of All Time". * In the television series In Living Color, Jim Carrey poses as Snow with similar sunglasses and parodies the song as "Imposter". The song describes how Snow himself is Canadian (Carrey is also from Toronto) and becomes more bizarre as it progresses - at one point he sings like Popeye. * The melody of the song was covered by Arash and Aneela as "Chori Chori". Track listings CD maxi 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 fat bass mix) — 4:39 5. "Informer" (Clark's super mix) — 4:51 7" single 1. "Informer" (radio edit) — 4:05 2. "Informer" (album mix Rick The Mexican Remix ) — 4:28 12" maxi 1. "Informer" (LP version Rick The Mexican remix edit) — 4:28 2. "Informer" (drum mix) — 4:12 3. "Informer" (dub) — 4:12 4. "Informer" (Clark's fat bass mix) — 4:39 5. "Informer" (Clark's super radio mix) — 4:11 6. "Informer" (super dub) — 4:50 Cassette 1. "Informer" (LP version Rick The Mexican Remix Edit) — 4:30 2. "Informer" (drum mix) — 4:13 Darrin O'Brien (born October 30, 1969), better known by his stage name Snow, is a Canadian reggae musician. He is best known for his 1993 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Snow was born and raised in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario. For much of his childhood, he lived in the Allenbury Gardens housing projects, and at the age of 16 moved to Ajax, Ontario.[citation needed] 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 number 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 Number 19 on the Hot 100. In 1995, Marvin Prince departed from Snow, and MC Shan worked on Snow's second album, Murder Love, which also featured production work by Junior Reid, Hurby "LuvBug" Azor, and others, as well as guest appearances by Junior Reid, Ninjaman, Half Pint, and others. Although Snow's subsequent albums performed poorly (except in Japan and Jamaica) after Marvin Prince's departure, he returned to the Canadian pop charts in 2000 with "Everybody Wants to Be Like You", and again in 2002 with "Legal", and worked on a new album with Red Zone and Trackmasters in 2007. Nominated for nine Juno Awards, his one win was in 1994, the Best Reggae Recording for "Informer"

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