After his stellar 2021 outing Baw Baw Black Sheep, Irish rapper Rejjie Snow returns at last with the mature, unexpected PEACE 2 DA WORLD. Written after Snow became a father and spent some time abroad, the rapper’s new album is all about mind expansion, slowing down and focusing on the truly important things in life.

Smooth jazz and lo-fi beats lead into the album’s single, ‘Karen’, where Snow’s vocals take centre stage. Vintage, old-school beats throb below his words, as he pokes fun at his haters with a bit of wordplay on the hook: “Who’s that peeking through the window? / That's Karen, Karen, Karen, stop caring”.

With production from long-term collaborator Rahki, each track is expertly assembled. Snow’s voice is always the primary focus, as he smoothly raps through the mellow ‘Peace To The World' and the summery ‘Rio de Janeiro’.

However, the final three tracks seem to carry the most heart. On ‘Mask on/off,’ Snow reflects on his background, rapping, “I came from Africa / Sold you my religion”. Elsewhere, Snow praises the women who shaped him on ‘Grandma’s Hands,’ before dedicating the final track to his daughter, where he says, “Remember, half my love for you is a hope for this world / Black girls like you have changed the world so many times”.

Impressive stuff.

7/10