Snow on New Year's Eve

By Kris Ketonen - The Chronicle-Journal

December 30, 2003

There was just one thing that could have pulled Snow away from recording his latest album: New Year’s Eve in Thunder Bay.

“It should be fun,” the Canadian pop-reggae-rap artist said from Toronto recently. “Just me up there singing old songs, new songs, making songs up, you know? Just doing what I gotta do. Just having fun, that’s the main thing.”

It’s Roxy’s he’s playing New Years Eve, by the way. Then it’s back to the busy recording artist life.

“I’m making my own record label and stuff, my own entertainment company,” Snow — whose real name is Darrin O’Brien — said of his latest ventures. “I’m buying a studio . . . start doing it myself.”

It’s been quite a while since Snow’s last release, Mind on the Moon, which hit shelves in 2000. That was the follow-up to 1995’s Murder Love.

And who can forget 1993’s 12 Inches of Snow and it’s hit track Informer, which sat at number one on the Billboard singles chart — and made the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling reggae single in U.S. history — even though nobody knew what the hell Snow was saying.

And what, exactly got Snow — who grew up in the Allenbury Projects of North York, a subsidized neighbourhood in Toronto — to the Informer stage of his life? Two charges of attempted murder (he was acquitted) and some time in jail for assault causing bodily harm (he pled guilty), plus love of Kiss at age 12 which evolved into a love of reggae at 15.

There was work, and a bit of luck, too: a vacation in New York introduced Snow to MC Shan, who hauled the youngster into a studio.

Snow finished 12 Inches of Snow while on bail, signed a deal with East/West/Warner, made the Informer video, then went back to Canada to finish his assault sentence at Maplehurst Correctional Centre.

When Snow was released, so was the album.

Today, judging by a phone interview, Snow is a very laid-back, gracious and appreciative person. He’s raising a daughter and pursuing acting, and more than once says he just wants to have a good time, hence the reason he wanted to come back to Thunder Bay.

“I was like ‘Thunder Bay! I put the thunder in the bay one time!’” Snow laughed. “I’m not really a big New Year’s person, like ‘oh my God, New Year’s, I’ve gotta spend it here.’

“I’ll just go up there and have fun.”

Look for Snow’s first single off the new album by spring.

Last Updated: Thursday, January 1, 2004