Raekwon - The Emperor’s New Clothes (Album)

Pioneering rapper Raekwon has released his first solo in eight years, The Emperor’s New Clothes.  A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, the most influential hip-hop collective in history, the rapper's solo output began back in 1995 with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... - a street masterpiece that redefined mafioso rap.

Out now via Mass Appeal, The Emperor’s New Clothes features a stacked line-up of guests, including: Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck; Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher of Griselda; rap icon Nas; singer Stacy Barthe, plus British soul star Marsha Ambrosius.

Alongside the album, Raekwon has also dropped a horror movie-inspired video for gritty anthem, Bear Hill.  The visual finds the New Yorker embracing a beast mode mentality and wreaking havoc wherever he roams.

Raekwon's The Emperor’s New Clothes is the latest instalment in Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It… series of seven albums by hip-hop trailblazers.  It follows Slick Rick’s recently released Victory, his first outing in over a quarter of a century, and precedes widely-anticipated new LPs from Nas & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L and De La Soul.

Raekwon has spent the past few weeks on the road with the rest of the Wu-Tang as part of their Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour alongside Run The Jewels.