Videos by According2HipHop
Raekwon just announced his first solo album in nearly a decade, The Emperor’s New Clothes, set to drop July 18 through Nas’ Mass Appeal Records.
The Chef shared the news via Instagram on Tuesday (July 1), promising that his latest work is “gonna apply pressure on rap’s generation.”
The Wu Tang legend’s next LP is shaping up to be a heavy-hitter lined with pre-destined Hall of Fame features.
His new album is stacked with a mix of lyrical assassins and soulful stylists: Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway The Machine rep Griselda; Wu-Tang family Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Inspectah Deck pull up; and Nas lends his legendary stamp. R&B artists Stacy Barthe and Marsha Ambrosius add melodic balance, while the beats are handled by heavyweights like Swizz Beatz, Nottz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, and Frank G & Roadstart.
Behind the boards, Raekwon brought in serious firepower: Swizz Beatz, Nottz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and Frank G & Roadstart handle production duties, promising a mix of soulful grit and cinematic knock.
Sonically, The Emperor’s New Clothes bridges the raw essence of golden-era New York rap with a sharper, modern energy. Raekwon described the project as “valuable imagery with aggressive wordplay,” insisting fans won’t need to skip a single track. “No album compares, I’m sorry,” he wrote.
It’s also the latest drop in Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It… series—an ambitious rollout focused on spotlighting iconic voices in hip-hop. Back in May, Slick Rick broke a 26-year silence with Victory, the first project in the series. Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele 2 is also expected to drop under the same banner.
With The Emperor’s New Clothes, Raekwon is making it clear: he’s not chasing trends—he’s setting the tone. This ain’t nostalgia. This is legacy in motion.
