Snow (musician)
A Canadian rapper who unexpectedly conquered global charts with the reggae-tinged smash 'Informer' in the early 1990s.
Born 1969 (age 57)·Canadian musician·Birthday: October 30·Generation X
Biography
Darrin O’Brien, known as Snow, emerged from Toronto’s Allen Gardens neighborhood with a story as unlikely as his hit song’s patois-heavy lyrics. Spending time in a Jamaican-dominated detention center as a teen, he absorbed the rhythms and slang that would define his sound. His debut single, 'Informer,' a catchy, reggae-fusion track allegedly written in minutes, became a slow-burn phenomenon. Despite—or perhaps because of—its hard-to-decipher chorus, it rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1993, making Snow an international star. The sudden fame was a double-edged sword, overshadowing his subsequent work and tying his identity to a one-hit-wonder label he has spent decades gently pushing against. He continued making music rooted in dancehall and reggae, cultivating a loyal fanbase, particularly in Canada and Japan, proving there was an artist with staying power behind that singular, massive hit.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Snow was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Snow Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Snow's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His 1992 single 'Informer' spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- The debut album '12 Inches of Snow' achieved multi-platinum status in the United States and Canada.
- Won a Juno Award for Best Reggae Recording in 1994 for the album 'Murder Love'.
- Maintained a consistent musical career for over three decades following his initial chart success.
- His music found significant commercial success in Japan, where he toured regularly.
Did You Know?
He is of Irish descent, which made his fluent use of Jamaican patois on 'Informer' surprising to many.
He served eight months in a Toronto jail for assault before his music career took off.
The 'Informer' video was filmed in his actual childhood neighborhood in Toronto.
He is a devoted fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.
He made a cameo appearance in the 2002 film 'The Wild Thornberrys Movie'.
“I’m not a one-hit wonder. I’m an artist that had a massive hit.”
