Sometimes as an artist, you need to step away from the process of creating. It canoften be a poisoned chalice in an age where social pressures demand a constant churning of projects just to remain active. However, at times, stillness is just as important. The idea of just being and living in the present can be scary for those always thinking about the next thing.

Snow has toured with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Madonna. Collaborating with artists like MF Doom, Tinashe, Aminé, and Joey Bada$$, Snow has amassed hundreds of millions of streams and designed a collection with heritage sportswear brand C.P Company. Pitchfork labelled Snow “Ireland’s most promising young rapper,” and since his arrival on the scene, he still proudly carries the flag for Irish rap.

For months, Rejjie Snow took himself off the grid and travelled the world, spending time in Los Angeles, Brazil, Iceland and London. The rapper’s time in Brazil where he spent weeks soaking in the air of Rio de Janeiro was enriching and life-affirming. The slower pace of life and prioritisation of living over the hustle and bustle of Western culture allowed him the headspace to create more freely. “It’s the process for me, the layering and the constant re-layering,” he says.

PEACE 2 DA WORLD reflects this newfound freedom and marks a turning point for Rejjie. He considers PEACE 2 DA WORLD to be his most narratively cohesive project to date which comes from reflecting on who he is now as a 31 year-old family man. For Rejjie, his third full-length album is about honouring his artistic roots and returning back to basics, “Coming from an underground space, never trying to lose sight of that. That’s the skill I was raised on,” he says.

During his time in the City of God, he listened to MPB icons such as Djavan and Seu Jorge. As a result, ‘Rio De Janeiro’ is a vivid love letter to the country along with lead single ‘Flight to Brazil’ which samples 1977 classic ‘Águas De Março’ by Brazilian legends Elis Regina & Tom Jobim. Growing up on house music and coming from a Irish-Jamaican-Nigerian background, Rejjie also tapped into music from Lagos which he admits “felt very innate and full of richness”. These are all experiences and sounds that can be heard and felt across the record.

Snow sees this new record as a gift, an embracing of who he is today. He sees his forthcoming project as a blending of the rapper he began his career as and the artist he is today. “There are tracks where I’m speaking to my community and the last track is a letter to my daughter,” he says. PEACE 2 DA WORLD is about a reckoning of self but also an understanding of where Snow sees himself in the world today.

Becoming a father to a young daughter has shifted his focus and perspective, he’smore conscientious of the fact that one day they’ll listen to his music. Rejjie is more considerate of the responsibility he has as a rapper, how his lyrics can be perceived, and what that means as a father. This clarity can be felt in the album’s tone, delivery and writing. Album opener ‘Africa’ is the manifestation of Rejjie arriving at the destination of maturity and fatherhood. “It’s the lessons I’ve learned. You’re confronting a lot of things that you can’t hide from especially when you’re imagining the world through your daughter’s eyes,” he says, “Everything’s different now.”

Ageing gracefully is an art in and of itself when it comes to rap and one of Rejjie’s challenges was creating a record that speaks to that transition. “What I love about this record is the confidence I have. Before I always second guessed myself and my ability but I know what works for me now, I’m not competing with anybody and it’s a much healthier space to be in.” At this stage in his career, it’s not about dwelling on the past or worrying about the future but appreciating the present with hopeful optimism.

Rejjie Snow

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