Murder Love
Encyclopedia
Murder Love is Canadian reggae
musician Snow
’s second album. While his preceding album (12 Inches of Snow
) featured a wide array of musical genres fusing hip-hop, pop
, and reggae, Murder Love was recorded in Jamaica
and primarily featured dancehall tracks. A number of songs featured dancehall legends Ninjaman
, Half Pint, White Mice, and Nadine Sutherland
, and Junior Reid
produced and appeared on the track Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We
. While not producing a hit in the United States, the track Sexy Girl
reached number one in Japan (becoming the 6th biggest hit of 1995) and the "Anything for You"
remix became the top selling single of 1995 in Jamaica. Ultimately, Murder Love reached number one the U.S. Reggae charts and "Si We Dem Nuh Know We" was nominated for a Juno for best reggae recording. Due to his criminal record, Snow was unable to enter the United States and promote the album.
, Topline, and the Jaguar Lounge in Halfway Tree. While performing at Sun Splash ’93, Snow befriended Ninjaman and the two began collaborating. As Snow put it, “we just clicked, so now we always hang out. Everyday when I'm in Jamaica
I hang with him. When he's doing a track, he'll always invite me to come on it with him." In addition to working with Ninjaman, Snow began recording with one of the artists that influenced his interest in reggae, Junior Reid, who went on to produce the track that also featured Snow and Ninjaman, “Si We Dem Nuh Know We.” Junior Reid also performed as guest vocalist on “Yesterday.” Ninjaman also appeared as a guest vocalist on “Bad Men.” Nadine Sutherland performed on the first single “Anything For You” and Half-Pint performs on the tracks “Rivertown” and joins White Mice on “Time.” The album featured several producers, including Junior Reid (“Si We Dem Nuh Know We”), Onree Gill (“Bad Men,” “Rivertown,” “Babylon,” “Time,” “Dream,” “If You Like the Sound,” and “Let’s Get it on”) , MC Shan
(“Yesterday” and “Sexy Girl”) and Herby Azor (“Anything for You”
and “Things to Say”).
Ultimately, Snow spent eight months in Jamaica recording the album, and his recording crew, including M.C. Shan, Hurby Azor
, and Michael Warner, flew to Jamaica to contribute to the album. Snow professed, "The experience of being in Jamaica definitely shaped the album. When I'm working, I don't listen to other music, for fear of stealing something unconsciously. But down there, you can't get away from music, it's all around you." He also observed, "The forward thing in dancehall reggae now is being positive, not singing all the time about gun talk and women. More than the beats, that had an influence in how the songs came out. Because I was going in that direction, it came together naturally."
The name Murder Love materialized after Snow visited Ireland
during his European tour in 1994. As Snow explained in 1995, "It's about the IRA (Irish Republican Army
). They're killing people they should be loving. I'm saying to Catholics and Protestants, they should be loving because they're one people. I always write words that are hard to understand. You've got to listen. It could mean something different to you, and if it means something different to you that's good. But that's what it means to me." Thus, The Mail and Globe described the track as the "sinisterly named title track, which has a deceptively lovely chorus."
's Allenbury housing project, where he first became acquainted with Reggae through the friendships formed with the many Jamaicans who had moved into his area” and “goes on to describe imagined evenings spent at Kingston
's Godfather's nightclub and sessions with the Stone Love sound system.” Heidi Seigmund of the Los Angeles Times
wrote, “comparisons to rapper Vanilla Ice
were inevitable in '93” but, “aside from being white artists working in black-music genres, the similarities end there.” She went on to observe that “unlike Ice, Snow really is a skilled performer and an exceptional dancehall talent. That's evident on songs like "Anything for You," a buoyant duet with Nadine Sutherland, "Things to Say"--a Bob Marley
tribute sampling Bill Withers
' "Use Me
"--and "Rivertown," a look at a Jamaican ghetto through the eyes of its young residents.”
Chuck Eddy of Spin
found Murder Love somewhat indecipherable and a departure from 12 Inches of Snow
, writing “slow make out mush replaces the debut’s Algerian-rai/dancehall mix with some lighthearted Marvin Gaye liquid funk,” and “like most reggae toasters, Snow seems to have learned to rap by studying Dick Van Dyke
’s ‘hum-diddle-diddle-did-die-hum-diddl-eye’ chimney sweep scat in Mary Poppins
. So I can’t guarantee I got the plots of these poems completely right.”
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician Snow
Snow (musician)
Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...
’s second album. While his preceding album (12 Inches of Snow
12 Inches of Snow
12 Inches of Snow is the debut album by Canadian reggae musician Snow, released in 1993. Edmond Leary and MC Shan produced the entire album, apart from one track which was produced by John Ficarrotta. The album was produced shortly before Snow was imprisoned for a year on an assault charge. Upon...
) featured a wide array of musical genres fusing hip-hop, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and reggae, Murder Love was recorded in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and primarily featured dancehall tracks. A number of songs featured dancehall legends Ninjaman
Ninjaman
Ninjaman, alias Don Gorgon, is a popular dancehall deejay / Actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style...
, Half Pint, White Mice, and Nadine Sutherland
Nadine Sutherland
Nadine Sutherland is a Jamaican reggae singer whose early career was nurtured by Bob Marley. She went on to become a successful dancehall artist in the 1990s.-Biography:...
, and Junior Reid
Junior Reid
Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
produced and appeared on the track Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We
Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We
"Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We," also known as Si We... , is a 1994 reggae dancehall single, only released as a 12 inch maxi, featuring Snow, Ninjaman, and Junior Reid. Recorded in Jamaica and produced by Junior Reid's One Blood production company, Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We also served as the first track on...
. While not producing a hit in the United States, the track Sexy Girl
Sexy Girl (Song)
Sexy Girl is a 1995 single from Canadian reggae musician Snow's second album, Murder Love. While only reaching number 80 on the Canadian Singles Chart, Sexy Girl stayed on the Tokyo Hot 100 charts for sixteen weeks, ultimately reaching the number one spot....
reached number one in Japan (becoming the 6th biggest hit of 1995) and the "Anything for You"
Anything for You (Snow song)
Anything For You is a 1995 single from Canadian reggae recording artist Snow’s second album, Murder Love. While becoming a club favorite and a grassroots hit on The Box in the United States and Canada, the single only peaked at 74 on the Canadian Singles Chart...
remix became the top selling single of 1995 in Jamaica. Ultimately, Murder Love reached number one the U.S. Reggae charts and "Si We Dem Nuh Know We" was nominated for a Juno for best reggae recording. Due to his criminal record, Snow was unable to enter the United States and promote the album.
Production
In 1993, Snow began touring Jamaica, performing at such venues as the University of the West IndiesUniversity of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
, Topline, and the Jaguar Lounge in Halfway Tree. While performing at Sun Splash ’93, Snow befriended Ninjaman and the two began collaborating. As Snow put it, “we just clicked, so now we always hang out. Everyday when I'm in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
I hang with him. When he's doing a track, he'll always invite me to come on it with him." In addition to working with Ninjaman, Snow began recording with one of the artists that influenced his interest in reggae, Junior Reid, who went on to produce the track that also featured Snow and Ninjaman, “Si We Dem Nuh Know We.” Junior Reid also performed as guest vocalist on “Yesterday.” Ninjaman also appeared as a guest vocalist on “Bad Men.” Nadine Sutherland performed on the first single “Anything For You” and Half-Pint performs on the tracks “Rivertown” and joins White Mice on “Time.” The album featured several producers, including Junior Reid (“Si We Dem Nuh Know We”), Onree Gill (“Bad Men,” “Rivertown,” “Babylon,” “Time,” “Dream,” “If You Like the Sound,” and “Let’s Get it on”) , MC Shan
MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
(“Yesterday” and “Sexy Girl”) and Herby Azor (“Anything for You”
Anything for You (Snow song)
Anything For You is a 1995 single from Canadian reggae recording artist Snow’s second album, Murder Love. While becoming a club favorite and a grassroots hit on The Box in the United States and Canada, the single only peaked at 74 on the Canadian Singles Chart...
and “Things to Say”).
Ultimately, Snow spent eight months in Jamaica recording the album, and his recording crew, including M.C. Shan, Hurby Azor
Hurby Azor
Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, or "Fingerprints" as he was also known, is a hip hop music producer, best known for discovering the successful female hip-hop trio Salt-n-Pepa and the also successful hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play....
, and Michael Warner, flew to Jamaica to contribute to the album. Snow professed, "The experience of being in Jamaica definitely shaped the album. When I'm working, I don't listen to other music, for fear of stealing something unconsciously. But down there, you can't get away from music, it's all around you." He also observed, "The forward thing in dancehall reggae now is being positive, not singing all the time about gun talk and women. More than the beats, that had an influence in how the songs came out. Because I was going in that direction, it came together naturally."
The name Murder Love materialized after Snow visited Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during his European tour in 1994. As Snow explained in 1995, "It's about the IRA (Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
). They're killing people they should be loving. I'm saying to Catholics and Protestants, they should be loving because they're one people. I always write words that are hard to understand. You've got to listen. It could mean something different to you, and if it means something different to you that's good. But that's what it means to me." Thus, The Mail and Globe described the track as the "sinisterly named title track, which has a deceptively lovely chorus."
Reception
Upon release, Murder Love met with mixed reviews. Patricia Meschino of Reggae Report praised “Dream” as one of the albums “most satisfying cuts.” She observed, “Here Snow reminisces about his days in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Allenbury housing project, where he first became acquainted with Reggae through the friendships formed with the many Jamaicans who had moved into his area” and “goes on to describe imagined evenings spent at Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
's Godfather's nightclub and sessions with the Stone Love sound system.” Heidi Seigmund of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote, “comparisons to rapper Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
were inevitable in '93” but, “aside from being white artists working in black-music genres, the similarities end there.” She went on to observe that “unlike Ice, Snow really is a skilled performer and an exceptional dancehall talent. That's evident on songs like "Anything for You," a buoyant duet with Nadine Sutherland, "Things to Say"--a Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
tribute sampling Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
' "Use Me
Use Me (song)
"Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
"--and "Rivertown," a look at a Jamaican ghetto through the eyes of its young residents.”
Chuck Eddy of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
found Murder Love somewhat indecipherable and a departure from 12 Inches of Snow
12 Inches of Snow
12 Inches of Snow is the debut album by Canadian reggae musician Snow, released in 1993. Edmond Leary and MC Shan produced the entire album, apart from one track which was produced by John Ficarrotta. The album was produced shortly before Snow was imprisoned for a year on an assault charge. Upon...
, writing “slow make out mush replaces the debut’s Algerian-rai/dancehall mix with some lighthearted Marvin Gaye liquid funk,” and “like most reggae toasters, Snow seems to have learned to rap by studying Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
’s ‘hum-diddle-diddle-did-die-hum-diddl-eye’ chimney sweep scat in Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and originally illustrated by Mary Shepard. The books centre on a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for their...
. So I can’t guarantee I got the plots of these poems completely right.”
Track listing
- "Si Wi Dem Nuh Know WeSi Wi Dem Nuh Know We"Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We," also known as Si We... , is a 1994 reggae dancehall single, only released as a 12 inch maxi, featuring Snow, Ninjaman, and Junior Reid. Recorded in Jamaica and produced by Junior Reid's One Blood production company, Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We also served as the first track on...
" with Junior ReidJunior ReidDelroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
& NinjamanNinjamanNinjaman, alias Don Gorgon, is a popular dancehall deejay / Actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style... - "Bad Men" with Ninjaman
- "Rivertown" with Half Pint
- "Murder Love"
- "Babylon"
- "Anything for You"Anything for You (Snow song)Anything For You is a 1995 single from Canadian reggae recording artist Snow’s second album, Murder Love. While becoming a club favorite and a grassroots hit on The Box in the United States and Canada, the single only peaked at 74 on the Canadian Singles Chart...
with Nadine Sutherland - "Yesterday" with Junior Reid
- "Time" with White Mice & Half Pint
- "Dream"
- "If You Like the Sound"
- "Sexy GirlSexy Girl (Song)Sexy Girl is a 1995 single from Canadian reggae musician Snow's second album, Murder Love. While only reaching number 80 on the Canadian Singles Chart, Sexy Girl stayed on the Tokyo Hot 100 charts for sixteen weeks, ultimately reaching the number one spot....
" - "Let's Get It On"
- "Things to Say"
External links
- "Sexy Girl" Music Video
- "Anything For You" music video
- "Anything For You" All-Star Remix Video
- Amazon.com
- Snow Lyrics an Australian Snow fansite