The Power – Snap! | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#2) & R&B (#4); 1990

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Once upon a time rapper Chill Rob G (Robert Frazier) recorded a song he’d written called Let The Words Flow. Although it didn’t strike gold, Flow impressed some German producers enough to rework it into The Power, and record it with singers Durron “Turbo B” Butler and cousin Jackie Harris as Snap!.

This understandably upset Chill who recorded his own version of The Power, with rewritten lyrics, as Power Jam Featuring Chill Rob G. Unfortunately, Snap!’s version entered the R&B chart a few weeks ahead of Chill, and crossed over to Pop as well.

Meanwhile, Jocelyn Brown was also angry over The Power by Snap!. Seems she recognized the hook from her own 1986 single, Love’s Gonna Get You, in the mix.. All this turmoil failed to derail The Power which climbed to #2, right behind Mariah Carey’s #1, Vision Of Love.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• Snap!

Lyrics Written by:

• Benito Benites
• John “Virgo” Garrett III
• Toni C.

Awards:

• “The Power” was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 1991