Snow - 'Informer' Reaction! Snow Say You Better Stick to the Code of the Streets! Silence is Golden!

[@sachithfernando3918]

Snow is as Real as Real gets, dude is criminally underated. He is a OG

[@funkspinna]

CRIMINALLY underrated. Well done.

[@thereallyst]

He grew up in the ghetto. His next door neighbors were Jamaican. He spent most of his time over there and would get music from them to listen to. It's why he was so widely accepted in the culture, they knew how he moved and it wasn't a culture grab, he actually lived it.

[@GeneralRaam-0]

No race in music

[@LadyThunderbird63]

I dont get how you dont understand , im a very old english lady and back in the 80s jamaican reggae was a huge in britain, i understand the song and remember all the lyrics , to the amazement of my granchildren. Try going down the old skool reggae rabbit hole.

[@roygbiv9038]

Black Americans don’t know anything about their ethnic culture but love exploiting it.

[@heatherlynnfairfield]

“Lick” is Jamaican slang for a hit. (“I lick he boom boom down” = he’s basically threatening the dude with a drive-by for snitching on him.) Someone who is “licky licky” is untrustworthy and morally bankrupt … in other words, someone who’d sell you out in a minute.

[@tjo3410]

He's from Toronto, not Jamaica. He grew up in a Jamaican area of Scarborough. His accent is a mix of Jamaican patois and Toronto Scarborough slang. And yes, he's a real artist lol.

[@PrettyFixedStars]

Scarborough is not Toronto. Just like Brampton and Rexdale is not Toronto. The only thing they have in common is they’re all turning to sh*t 🙄

[@ThatCarGuy1983]

Complete and utter bullshit I'm english we have bare jamaicans here He may be canadian but his accent is pure patois which THEY got from the "Irish" You chat bare shit! 😂

[@RobCrowley85]

It's weird how people still ask where he's from when he tells us in the song

[@clintonscottwalsh]

Ain't he white

[@RobCrowley85]

@@clintonscottwalsh That he is

[@mjking9019]

Snow was inducted into the Canadian songwriter's hall of fame this year. In the write-up he wrote about this song. "Informer details the story of Snow’s arrest and incarceration after a fight that turned violent, and him not turning into an “Informer” by pointing out the person who did the crime. Darrin O’Brien served several months before being acquitted; during that time, he wrote and sang Informer to entertain his fellow inmates. He told “Maclean’s” magazine, “That gave me courage. I knew that if I could rock that crowd, I could rock any crowd.”"

[@aeriagloris4211]

This dude... Entertained inmates with Acapella? Broad respect

[@rosedawg7895]

He’s more legit gangster than some of the so call gangsters these days.

[@ziggybender9125]

Not to mention he was born into a family not to be fucked with.

[@remember_Pat_Tillman]

Lol he was actually in jail serving out a sentence for battery when this song was released.

[@nitrokid]

Snow can sometimes be found in the comment section in some videos, he loves reaction channels 😂

[@dyawr]

Really? That's so cool!

[@JustMike989]

True true

[@thecountess]

Wagwan! So, I have to say that growing up in Toronto - born and raised - you do learn a lot of Patois and Jamaican/Caribbean lingo. It's our slang, it's our "Toronto tings" and it's not frowned upon because that's how the youth grows up and socializes. I live abroad now and I still use my Toronto lingo. We're a melting pot in Tdot, we all Canadians.

[@EmmaBadOne]

Seen! big up Toronto for that. I'm not from his area. Im from the west, Junction Massive!! but Jamaican culture run deep in them hoods.

[@cookcookkkkk]

This is one of the saddest things Ive ever read. Have some goddamn pride of your own heritage.

[@thecountess]

@@cookcookkkkk id wtf you mean. Nothing sad about my background.

[@lightlantern]

Did Shots With Him Once In 1999 He’s Super Nice & Cool!!

[@eagledee7753]

Actually the two cities more reggae in the world are Kingston / Jamaica and Toronto / Canada. Snow grew up in a ghetto from Toronto.

[@ronaldvarty592]

Snow also spent a lot of time in jamaica with other reggae artist, and he has a couple kids there

[@soloman2565]

Track was fire back in the day ... look up the lyrics .. doesn't matter if he white !!! Let's drop the colour shit ...enjoy the music

[@dyawr]

Yeah

[@szithaanu9934]

The title of this album is '12 Inches of Snow' Epic title.

[@ShayAnnCan]

😂

[@jasonmgomez]

a real double entendre considering the LP is a 12"

[@XP9724]

Triple entendre too

[@youtubestyle293]

1-12 inch (vinyl) 2-12 inches of snow, 3-the 12 inches of MR SNOW

[@swgroove]

Toronto baby!!! He grew up right around the corner from my neighbourhood. Real deal man...boy could go. Ran into him and Shan at the studio one time. Nice cats.

[@johnpressey5900]

Snow isn’t a one hit wonder, he wasn’t allowed back in the USA, because of his criminal charges, so he is internationally famous, still, mostly in South America and the Caribbean! He does a lot of collaborations and features today, on songs by younger artists who were inspired by him.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

Of all the reactions I've watched to this song, THIS one was the best. Not only the best but most thoroughly researched. Thank you.

[@dyawr]

Fr, and nuanced!

[@christinewaide5249]

I have never understood anything he said..but I absolutely love the song.

[@karenpower1643]

The song is based on his experience of being incarcerated for eight months in the maximum-security Toronto East Detention Center. The song is an insult against those who he claimed "snitched on" him, which led to his imprisonment. The hook of the track is based on Snow physically threatening the "informer" who got him locked down. The song began getting radio recognition while he was incarcerated. The song is also based on a separate 1989 incident when Snow was charged with two counts of attempted murder.

[@dyawr]

Wow, this is so interesting!

[@nomnomnomJon]

This is one of the best 80s or 90s dancehall songs. Dude still plays big shows in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Yeah shabba is one dang note lol.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Dancehall??😂😂 1930s english granny music?😂

[@willywonka7812]

​@@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerekyou are tremendously ignorant

[@nicshere]

GenXer here. The song came out in 1992 and there was a dance club for teenagers where I grew up. Admittance was 17 and under, but if under 16 you must be accompanied by a parent because you would not have I.D. to prove your age. I still remember the name of the place I frequented as a teen. Brings back a lot of memories.

[@migs532]

SNOW is to the Reggae community as Emeniem is to the Rap community!

[@richardrobinson4159]

He actually has some really good reggae albums. Never really heard from him after this album cause he got banned from stepping back into the USA.

[@TimedRevolver]

Eh, not exactly. He was in jail or prison when the album dropped, so couldn't promote it. That basically killed his career's momentum.

[@JeffTiberend]

@@TimedRevolver Yup. I remember wanting to see him in concert near where I lived by St Louis, MO. But, then word was that it got canceled due to him being in jail or legal problems.

[@Aaron-xc4je]

Brings back my Child Hood Snow says the A licky boom-boom down' means, like, I'll hit down the informer; I'll knock the informer out” the guy that Rat him out Snow did jail time for boosting cars

[@retrogamer82]

This song was everywhere when it came out

[@TracyVoD]

I like this song. Sorry Corey Roy but how you complain of this song being monotonous with hard to understand lyrics is the way I (and plenty of others I know) feel about a lot of hip-hop/rap songs too.

[@bf3and4highlights83]

Word.

[@tessasnow]

Amen! 🇨🇦🖖🏻

[@jjh5374]

I really enjoy your channel. You guys have a great perspective on a lot of music and are always open to new genres. Always look forward to watching your videos.

[@RedRubyG]

Pls don’t compare snow to Vanilla Ice…Snow is a “Real Artist” and he has many other great songs.

[@marceldagenais1893]

Biggest Carrabana parade in the world in Toronto around four million people!.

[@MrKingGlock]

My luv yuh attitude fah dis song

[@catserver8577]

He's speaking patois, he was probably speaking directly to whoever narced on him. The whole song is about that. If you learn a couple patois phrases, the whole song makes sense.

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

And they narced on him falsely. He was with his girlfriend when that crime was carried out, like in the lyric. Wow

[@spartamykonos]

Can I say the same when a black person sings country, opera, metal? It’s all music, man. I’ll go further; if a race didn’t invent particular instruments, should they be questioned when they use them? How about the tech used to produce the music? It’s all music, for everyone to share and enjoy.

[@chocobrown79]

You have a point.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

All black American and Jamaican Genres and musicians use European invented instruments and they all have inspiration and roots in European classical.

[@sandyleewhite]

FACTS!

[@sonitasayed2410]

May Allah almighty bless and protect Snow

[@Barnes466]

I would not want to be a snitch. This was a real warning in the those days as I recall. Jamaica area in TO is hard core there 100%.

[@gingerkid1048]

Can confirm as a white kid who grew up in the same neighborhood as Snow just younger.

[@fuzzylogics139]

Doesn't matter to me, if you can do it, you can do it. If you can do it to that degree, you MUST be feeling it all the way throughout your whole system. If you're feeling it like that, in a way, you become it. I mean, people in my opinion need to do what's in their heart. If you're from the Congo and you want to become the best Ballet dancer, or a Swiss watch-maker, go for it. If something is done purely out of the love or passion you have for that thing, it's a sad day when people can't see that for what it is and be fkn petty about it. Anyways, it's a BANGER!

[@dyawr]

*Completely* agree👍

[@JessRansdellSmith]

His first single in the U.S. was actually Lonely Monday Morning. And it's highly likely he would have had morr success in thr states if they hadn't barred him from coming here because of his criminal record. He's huge in his native Canada anf in Jamaica, and was pretty big in Japan before he was banned from there.

[@rickcole349]

I’m with the guy that saw Snow as a novelty act. A Canadian group you’re all gonna love is Big Sugar. Check out the song Diggin A Hole. They’re from out west, but they play all over the country.

[@DarkAngel1985Mike]

Love this from my early childhood

[@TheBaronessIsAwesome]

I was 10 when this song came out and was immediately obsessed with it. I cut the lyrics out of some teen magazine and made it my mission to learn every word. So now I'm almost 41 years old and this white-ass Dutch girl still knows ALL the lyrics to a song about being locked up in prison for two attempted murders. 💁🏻‍♀

[@dyawr]

Lol

[@GrimmjowwJ]

Ive seen Snow a few times in person a long with some other Canadian artists. Snow will always be leagues about Vanilla Ice. Most Canadian artists can walk around Canada without being bothered like in the states

[@JustMike989]

Snow is also well respected in the reggae community is other tunes are a must listen ..lady with the red dress.- i will do anything for you-lonely morning-girl ive been hurt all bangers

[@lawrencekelli]

Love this track!

[@MogulDiamond]

Great video!!!.. but the one guy that say he didn't like this song.. I want him to understand this "INFORMER" song is the commercial waterdown version and you have to hear the original "LONEY MONDAY MORNING " also by Snow... and after that you gus have to react to Daddy Yankee "CON CALMA" featuring Snow.. which is the more updated version.. Bless

[@DirtyMikeTM]

Snow comes from Jane and Finch area in Toronto Canada

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

Always wished we could have seen that lying informers face when the song came out and was all over MTV and radio and people were dancing to it in the clubs and singing at walking down the street! Lol! 😅

[@phantomimages7673]

He’s collared with many of the great reggae artists, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Nadine Sutherland, and many many more. I lick ya boom boom down…….means put a smack down on somebody. This is the original snitches gets stitches song.

[@echopryme]

I WILL say that he doesn't get enough credit for "Lonely Monday Morning" which was on the same album and got played on late night reggae/dancehall shows ALL OVER hip hop stations without a single discussion of whether he was faking anything, like 6-8 months before this song came out. 💯 And its 99% the same lyrics. The record industry decided to make him THAT... but that dude was REAL dancehall first. 💯

[@randywatson8347]

The music style transition from the 80's to the 90's, we don't see this anymore.

[@NYEnforcerPMA]

Love seeing reactions by dudes who know what they’re talking about 🤙

[@matthewgriffin6851]

I love this song but I do love that you were honest with your opinion so thanks for the honesty and I enjoy the reaction

[@baca802]

Collie buddz is actually from Bermuda not Jamaica but he grew up with alot of reggae influences

[@dyawr]

I really liked this reaction! It was so nuanced & informed, and I learned something new.👍 Stark contrast to 99% of other reaction videos I see. 🤭 Gj

[@lex316]

I lick he boom boom 💥 down, popping a cap in a snitch 😁

[@lepoetress]

I agree about. Supa Cat. I saw him on a show and all I understood about the song was "Yo, yo, yo, baby"

[@HalCogan]

10:36 shit I could probably recite almost every word to most Buju Banton songs, I was down bad as a young man. Him and Beres Hammond haha

[@johnpatrick3085]

Real talk, I've head this track a few times, I had no idea he was a real rudy. 🤯

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

The song has been in the Guinness Book of World Records twice I believe for being the highest selling reggae song and pop music. So Corey your point does not stand, it's a matter of opinion only. TONS of people love this song. Yeah thank you for pushing back on Corey, Olli! Good discussion guys! Real candid discussions will keep this world going & real. And he didn't say he was born and raised in the ghetto in the song that is true, he said he was born and raised in Ekitobe or however you spell that Jamaican community in Toronto - the most are one of the most diverse cities in the world!

[@cellyblank9919]

Hey Corey, the speed in his delivery of the lyrics was part of his talent. He was know as the fastest rapper. But I respect your honesty, I watched you and you couldn't get into it. No need to apologize.

[@lindasalaki9404]

Great song and video 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@rossmacintosh5652]

When I've come across them, I've been surprised by some of very good covers of 'Informer' on KZbin. The singers must have put in countless hours to memorize the lyrics.

[@tyroneboyd3319]

Everyone has their opinion. All i know is i like the song. It's from the 90's. Lot of hits back in that era. 💯

[@woahblackbettybamalam]

He's talking about killing a snitch "A leaky(snitch)Boom Boom(Shot) Down(dead)

[@rachels.8673]

Great episode 😂👍🏾

[@frankeez_world6000]

Try Runaway and lonely Monday morning.. great tracks ✌️😎👍

[@Airgunmarksmanofficial]

It's funny.... every time I hear a reactor say that they are struggling to understand an accent..... they are American. The guys rapping in a 'Jamaican' dialect, which is very close to English, it needs a little bit of nuanced interpretation, but it's pretty understandable.

[@hthe620110]

I bet this song pounds. I am going to try it tomorrow.

[@charlenemachine208]

Fun Fact: He is cousins with one of the dudes in Bare Naked Ladies.

[@sonitasayed2410]

1990 my favorite song. New Afghanistan Cobra

[@martindarin5832]

Why don't you have Corey listen to Becca Boom "To the ceiling". She'll spell it all out for him.🤣 Love you guys!😁👍

[@jabarrobbins1057]

What up CoreyRoy_, Fenom202 and OliWooDA, how about reacting to "Do You Want My Love?" by (the late, great) CoCo Lee? She just recently passed RIP

[@ingsve]

Of course people don't understand him, they don't know Jamaican patois.

[@Alison-h8e]

he was actually in jail when this dropped on the radio. he's the real deal.

[@lepoetress]

This is STILL 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Lonely Monday and Need Another Lover are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 also. Too bad his career was cut short because he'd have had a stellar longevity

[@magich8ball]

Check out "Shame" by Snow.

[@johnpressey5900]

It’s not in English, it’s Jamaican dialect patois! Snow is still an enormous Star in South American and Island countries, and still working down there. He isn’t allowed in the 🇺🇸 USA. Example: “Shame” kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZXYg62jg7lneqs

[@imagedthought5834]

The problem with this video tho is the licky boom boom down but has the girls dancing…sound like lick ya pum pum dowwwn and everybody react the same way director to blame lol 😂

[@XP9724]

Big ups to fenom for pushing back on Corey😂. His follow up hit “Girl ive been hurt" is easier since hes singing for most of it. A smooth jam

[@valeriaproductions]

He was in jail when the video was released. When he was let out, a limo picked him up :)

[@JeffreyNash-t4h]

Yup, he did indeed write the song while in jail on a double attempted murder charge. As for the "licky-boom-boom-down": Licky: chamber the first round (on a 9mm semi automatic, not a revolver). Boom-boom: get off 2 shots. Down- snitch is dead. And in all the interviews he had, answering about the double attempted murder charge; he always said "I beat the rap". He never said he didn't do it....

[@djprideone1]

not sure if anyones mentioned it but snow was discovered by Mc SHAN of the juice crew (nyc)

[@yanlaroche90]

Dont forget a couple years ago, Canada had talks with a couple of caribbean islands to colonize them, it never happened and everyone is still kinda disapointed

[@nicshere]

It's hard for me to take this reaction too seriously when none of you know what the song is about and never bothered to find out before making this video. I'll give a quick lesson here. "I lick ya boom boom down" is slang for taking out a snitch. The song came out in 1992 while Snow was locked up for murder (his friend confessed after 8 months). He's Canadian and grew up in a Jamaican neighborhood. Hence the lyrics, 'People dem say ya come from Jamaica, but me born an' raised in the ghetto that I want ya to know. Pure brown people is all a man know...where me a born in are de one Toronto, so..." As for the rest, I'll leave that up to you gentlemen.

[@keithflinty]

I love the nod to Eek a Mouse. All these reggae experts, haven't seen in mentioned once apart from someone in the coments saying he stole the rhyme

[@bikerjk1205]

Jim Carrey was wrong.

[@jawbone78]

It wasn't just Jim Carrey that was wrong. Every single thing on that show was wrong. The Wayans family is the least funny group of comedians in history. That show missed pretty much every target it aimed at.

[@maharlika6838]

snow is about that life and was raised by Jamaican American people snow is more black than gray shirt guy😂😂😂😂

[@philipd.murphy6970]

Informer, you know say Daddy mi Snow dem a go blame, a leaky boom boom now. Detective man say Daddy mi Snow, mi stab someone down the lane a leaky boom boom now. 😊

[@youtubestyle293]

Boooooooo. To the guy who said I don’t like it. You should have heard all the nuances in the flow. He ate it

[@samuelgraham542]

I didn't know still passed away 3 weeks ago at the age of 53 it's true or not let me know

[@thisisitreactions]

The Googles say he is still alive thankfully

[@imagedthought5834]

Yooo.. made me check and shit my heart stopped

[@gigiloveyeah]

2000 vma Britney performance

[@jaketm4500]

Spreading Mayonaise,! what you tryna say BRO..........lol

[@PoliticallyPink]

So y'all have already heard this song before? Sounds like it. Isn't that cheating? I could never really understand the lyrics until I watched a lyric video and realized no one can understand the lyrics.

[@susanmurray7654]

I'd be asking, who is the song intended for?...hmmm

[@lynnieiapichino1121]

☮️💙💙💙🔥🔥

[@Beluga_Too]

Take man to city then immma stomach stab somewhere down the lane, i licky boom boom down. (Informer is dead). This song is a bop, but the context is... maybe more murder (or aggravated assault lol) than a bop.

[@stefannag2015]

Dude in the purple cap doesn't wanna admit a white dude is less of a poser than anything he thinks is '' tough. ''' He pulls out vanilla ice because he got bullied by suge and he probably thinks as long as a black guy is keeping a whitey in check it's all good. This is one of the most unique songs ever made, and for one unlike 99% of black rappers he's actually done time and had murder charges against him. Dude in the purple cap cannot handle this fact or wrap his head around it so he says it sucks, luckily it reached number 1 for a reason.

[@johnpressey5900]

Here’s a Snow song from 2021: “Reason to Love” kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4are4t4aZeinNk

[@angelika_munkastrap4634]

I’m Australian and I can understand everything he’s saying - you can’t understand it coz he’s white - and that’s a fact

[@jeffcurry8317]

This was a great song at titty bars, so I've heard.. I have :NO idea what "licky boom boom down" means. BUT I have a gutter mind so I have some ideas. Vanilla Ice and Snow should do tour together. They could sell out lots of free concerts in the park. There is a "yellow snow" joke in there somewhere.

[@loisrogers9042]

I can't understand the words in most rap that I've heard, which isn't a lot. Not my thing.

[@andrewmaceachern8153]

Leaking means bleeding boo bo ok means shoting

[@depechemoto]

Not even close to a parity, your eyes are simply deceiving you lol