Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza (born June 24, 1987), known professionally as Snow Tha Product, is a Mexican-American rapper, singer, actress, YouTuber, and podcaster. She was signed to Atlantic Records from 2012 until November 2018. Since then, she has been an independent artist. Her most well-known projects are her 2013 mixtape Good Nights & Bad Mornings 2: The Hangover and the 2018 compilation album VIBEHIGHER. On April 28, 2021, Snow collaborated with Bizarrap on "BZRP Music Sessions #39". Snow also appeared in several episodes of the USA network hit series, Queen of the South.
Early life
Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza was born on June 24, 1987, in San Jose, California, to Mexican parents. Her father was an undocumented immigrant from Michoacán and her mother, who is from Zacatecas, immigrated legally to the United States. She has a younger brother named Miguel Ángel, whom she endearingly calls "Ito".
During her younger years, Madriz was exposed to mariachi music on her father's side of the family as both her father and grandfather were mariachi singers. At the age of 6, she appeared in school talent shows and began performing with her grandfather's mariachi band in Redwood City. She got her first exposure to hip hop when she moved to San Diego and gradually became more involved with her own music. Claudia attended Mira Mesa Senior High School. As a teenager, she started freestyling with her friends.
Career
2007–2010: Beginnings and early success
After graduating high school, Madriz briefly attended San Diego Mesa College to begin studying to become a social worker. At the age of 19, she began taking music seriously and dropped out of her first semester of college to pursue a career as a rapper. She adopted her name from Disney's character Snow White. Initially she used the name "Snow White", and then added "the Product". Then she changed it into her new moniker as "Snow White Tha Product", and ultimately "Snow Tha Product". After recording a number of songs in Spanish, she caught the attention of Mexican artist Jaime Kohen. They recorded a collaboration song, titled "Alguien", which became popular in Mexico and appeared on Kohen's album Fotosíntesis.
In 2007, Tha Product released her first compilation album Verbal Assault Vol.1 with many local artists under her label Product Entertainment LLC. It was followed in 2008 with her first solo mixtape Raising Tha Bar: Tha Mixtape, which included many remixes of popular songs of the era. In 2009, Verbal Assault Vol. 2 was released, with the single "Whatever It Takes". In 2010, Tha Product released Wake Ya Game Up, Vol. 1, along with the Wake Ya Game Up and Woke clothing brands and apparel.
2010-2011: Unorthodox and breakthrough
In 2010, Tha Product released the mixtape Run Up or Shut Up, which was hosted by DJ Ames from the UK and included the hit single "Drunk Love". On February 16, 2011, the official music video was featured in the popular Latino music television channel Mun2. Tha Product then moved her and her family to Texas and performed for two consecutive years at the South by Southwest festival.
On October 26, 2011, Tha Product released her debut independent album on Street Science Ent. Unorthodox. "Drunk Love" was re-released as a single along with "Woke Wednesday". Her real breakthrough came with the song "Holy Shit". The 97-second-long song received acclaim and was featured on 50 Cent's site ThisIs50.com. The success of her songs caught the attention of three major record labels, which got in contact with her – Sony, Universal and Atlantic. Adam Bernard of RapReviews.com, impressed by her work, went on to write "[Snow] may very well be one of the leaders of ... a bold new era of female emcees."
2012–2014: Signing with Atlantic Records and Good Nights & Bad Mornings
In 2012, Snow signed to Atlantic Records following her independent success with Unorthodox. She appeared on songs by major artists, such as DJ Paul and Krizz Kaliko. In November, she performed at the ABN Reunion concert in Houston, Texas, among rappers Trae and Z-Ro. On December 12, 2012, Snow released her anticipated mixtape Good Nights & Bad Mornings, which spawned 3 singles: "Cookie Cutter Bitches", "Damn It" and "Lord Be with You".