"Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We", also known as "Si We... (Charged for Murder)", is a song by

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet ...

featuring

Ninjaman Desmond John Ballentine (born January 24, 1966), better known as Ninjaman, and sometimes as Don Gorgon is a Jamaican dancehall deejay and actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style. In 2017, he ...

and

Junior Reid Delroy "Junior" Reid (born 6 June 1963) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for his featuring on the songs " One Blood", "It's Okay (One Blood)" and " This Is Why I'm Hot", as well as being the lead vocalist for Black Uhuru ...

. Recorded in Jamaica and produced by Junior Reid's One Blood production company, "Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We" was released in 1994 as a 12-inch maxi-single only. It also served as the first track on Snow's second album, ''

Murder Love ''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 f ...

''. Ultimately, "Si Wi Dem Nuh Know We" earned Snow a

Juno Juno commonly refers to: * Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods * ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno'' *Juno, in the ...

nomination for Best Reggae Recording in 1996 and reached number one on the Jamaican reggae charts.

Production

After the success of "

Informer An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informant ...

", Snow began touring Jamaica and developed a friendship with dancehall legend, Ninjaman. The two began recording tracks in Jamaica and their joint efforts led to the opportunity to record a track with Junior Reid, one of Snow's musical idols.

Lyrical analysis

"Si We Dem Nuh Know We" is performed entirely in

Jamaican Patois Jamaican Patois (; locally rendered Patwah and called Jamaican Creole by linguists) is an English-based creole language with West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines West ...

and features a heavy base line. Like "

", all three artists describe a "son" falsely charged with murder. Unlike "Informer", "Si We Dem Nuh Know We" is not a biographical song. Rather, the inspiration for the song came from murder charges levied against Snow's Uncle Patty. As Snow explained, "It's about an innocent man being charged; anybody who gets falsely accused of a crime."

Reception

Larry Flick gave the tune a positive review, writing "The 'Informer' returns in good company and familiar territory. The three masters of the mike take a jab at keeping pace with bouncy synthesizer stabs and deep bass beats. Despite the crowded bill, the sound remains bare-boned, wicked, and guilty-as-charged of a good beating."Larry Flick, "Review of Si We... (Charged With Murder)," ''Billboard'', 7 January 1995, 85.

References

{{Snow (musician) 1994 songs 1994 singles Snow (musician) songs Songs written by Snow (musician) East West Records singles Atlantic Records singles