It’s a long way from Kingston to Barcelona, but for Irie Souljah, the distance is more a mindset than a map point. The globe-trotting reggae artist, born in Spain and reborn in Jamaica’s cultural crucible, has lived a life that defies borders—and on his new album World Citizen, he turns that borderless journey into something deeply musical, spiritual, and defiantly human. Over hypnotic riddims and roots-drenched grooves, Irie Souljah doesn’t just sing about the world—he belongs to it.
With World Citizen, he’s chasing something bigger than a hit single or a moment of radio play. This is reggae stripped to its spiritual essentials and rebuilt with an internationalist’s heart. There’s a warmth to Souljah’s voice, both in conversation and on wax, that speaks to his years immersed in Jamaican sound system culture, while still bearing traces of his Mediterranean roots. Think Damian Marley meeting Manu Chao in a ganja-scented back alley studio, plotting ways to stir souls and shuffle feet.
In this candid conversation with ThePier.org, Irie Souljah opens up about the global reggae scene, touring the United States, what fuels his creativity, and why World Citizen isn’t just an album title—it’s a way of life.
Your music has always incorporated a blend of reggae, dancehall, and some R&B elements. With World Citizen, what was the sonic vision and what was your process in selecting this final tracklist for this album?
For this album I wanted to go back to the roots. I’ve been saying that this is the continuation of my first project (2016’s) Immigrant because with (2023’s) All About Love I did experiment with different sounds and styles more towards dancehall and RNB and with World Citizen I just want to do a top Roots Reggae album with some modern twists and approach but at the same time sticking to the real essence of reggae. With this new album I’m sealing up a chapter of a learning experience through many years studying this genre and now I feel like my music it’s fully ready for the world. Not that my previous project wasn’t ready but I believe this album deh pon next level. I wanted a soothing but hardcore project at the same time so my track selection was based on that, just like my name likkle bit a Irie and whole heap a Souljah in it.
How do the social and cultural dynamics of your two homes – Spain and Jamaica – influence the way you write and approach music? Do you see your role as an artist differently in these two locations?
No doubt, Jamaica influenced me way more that’s where I found my voice, my style, and the real essence of what I do. But I can’t deny that my roots in Spain still play a role. The way I approach melodies, the chord progressions I lean toward, even certain emotional colors in the music that all comes from my background there. Definitely different roles in Jamaica it’s been more like a learning role and contributing to the reggae community while in Spain now it’s like I’m the teacher there and I’m inspiring and guiding the new generation to explore and know more about the Island and its history, culture and music. Although little by little I think I’m becoming that person in JA as well, and hopefully one day worldwide.
You’ve been known for creating music with messages of positivity and unity. On World Citizen, are there any specific personal experiences or global events that inspired certain tracks? How do you balance personal stories with broader social themes in your writing?
Well, I think no matter where we come from, a lot of us go through similar struggles on a daily basis. So when I write about my own challenges and troubles, it’s really about connecting with people who can relate, even if our lives look different on the surface. As an immigrant myself, my journey hasn’t been as rough as some who are forced to migrate under terrible circumstances, but I still connect deeply with their experiences… Just the act of moving to a new place comes with its own set of struggles. I always try to write from a place of honesty, whether it’s something I’ve lived personally or something I witness around me that stirs up emotion.
What was the most challenging part of creating World Citizen? Was there a particular song or moment in the creative process that pushed you outside of your comfort zone, or that you had to revisit several times before it felt right?
The most challenging part was finishing the album, I wasn’t convinced of the song selection and changed a lot of things on the songs and even created a bunch of new songs towards the completion of the album which was driving the label a bit crazy lol. But I think it was worth it because the results of working tirelessly until you get it right it’s very rewarding and satisfying. Definitely the opening song for the album “Rasta At The Control” had me thinking outside the box as it’s the first time I go fully lyrical on a song. Give thanks to Kabaka for helping me figure out that song; one of my favorites without a doubt.
What do you think the future of reggae music looks like globally, and what role do you see yourself playing in shaping that future through albums like World Citizen?
It’s interesting because there’s a lot of good young reggae artists that have the potential to make it big but we need proper infrastructure, specially in Jamaica where the talent is unmatched but the resources are limited and unfortunately there’s few people in the industry who can actually make things happen for young upcoming artists. On the other hand I think there’s a lack of interest from the younger generation worldwide towards reggae music cause they might find it too slow, boring or not appealing enough for them to vibe and post on social media and thing. Personally as much as I will never compromise the quality and purity of my music, I try to make songs that are exciting in some way or make you wanna dance or sing along cause that’s the type of reggae I love. But as always this genre have it’s cycles and I’m sure soon enough the dots will connect again and together we will push reggae to the top which is where it should be.
What was your experience like touring the US with Iya Terra and getting exposure in the US reggae scene?
That was one of my greatest touring experiences ever, to see the way these guys had everything organized, show presentation, merchandise it was very inspiring and I can’t wait to start my own touring journey in the US and link up with more dope bands and artists so we can elevate the genre and connect with more people.
