The year of the hip hop return continues in its solid fashion with the new album by Raekwon: The Emperor’s New Clothes. This is the second album by Mass Appeal Records in their Legend Has It… series which was to see the publication of “seven stories once lost in myth”. Raekwon’s first album in eight years since The Wild came out 2017, it also marks his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with his debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… coming out in 1995.

Maybe Raekwon is donned in new fashion but he feels no need to adjust to new styles in other areas; The Emperor’s New Clothes stays true to his long-time formula of nuanced flow, street slang and crime themes. Raekwon apparently felt no need to manufacture any excitement prior to the release of the album too with no major promotion nor even a single teased in advance.

Raekwon is accompanied by his Wu-Tang Clan compatriots with features by Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Inspectah Deck. Other guest appearances are supplied by Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Marsha Ambrosius, Carlton Fisk, Stacy Barthe and Tommy Nova. The head honcho of Mass Appeal Records, Nas, appears for a standout verse on “The Omerta”; it would suggest that he might make a guest appearance as part of all Legend Has It… albums as he also featured on VICTORY by Slick Rick. Production is supplied by Frank G, Antwan “Amadeus” Thompson, Trilogy, Raekwon, Snipe Beatz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, RoadsArt, STLNDRMS, Swizz Beatz, Pav Bundy, Nottz, Blue Rocks and Calvin Ewings. “Bear Hill”, “Open Doors” and “The Omerta” are my standout tracks.

The title The Emperor’s New Clothes is derived from the Hans Christian Andersen folktale about an emperor with an obsession for lavish clothes who is duped into buying an outfit so extravagant that people who are incompetent or stupid cannot see them – the emperor parades his new fit in the nude because it does not exist. Fortunately for us all, Raekwon comes back parading a style that still fits him to the sight of everyone. Let’s see which veteran is the next to come out with another strong return.

The Emperor’s New Clothes
Raekwon
Featuring: Marsha Ambrosius, Stacy Barthe, Benny the Butcher, Carlton Fisk, Conway the Machine, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Nas, Tommy Nova, Westside Gunn
Production: Blue Rocks, Calvin Ewings, Frank G, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Nottz, Pav Bundy, Raekwon, RoadsArt, Snipe Beatz, STLNDRMS, Swizz Beatz, Antwan “Amadeus” Thompson, Trilogy
Singles: “Bear Hill”