Raekwon Returns With ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’
Raekwon is back—and he’s not coming quietly. On Friday (July 18), the legendary rapper dropped The Emperor’s New Clothes, his first solo album since 2017’s The Wild, and the timing…
Raekwon is back—and he’s not coming quietly. On Friday (July 18), the legendary rapper dropped The Emperor’s New Clothes, his first solo album since 2017’s The Wild, and the timing couldn’t be more poetic. Just hours after the Wu-Tang Clan wrapped their final tour stop in Philadelphia, the rapper dropped a project that proves his crown is still firmly in place.
Loaded Lineup of Legends
Raekwon didn’t ride solo for this one. He brought out a killer crew of collaborators, featuring sharp verses from some of the biggest names in rap, old and new.
Wu-Tang brothers Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and Method Man all pull up, along with heavyweights Nas, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher.
Behind the boards, the production is equally stacked. Swizz Beatz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and Nottz each add their signature sound, laying the foundation for a 17-track project that’s as gritty as it is polished.
MSG Magic and a Philly Finale
The album wasn’t the only major moment for Raekwon this week. The Wu-Tang Clan officially closed out their last tour together on Friday night in Philadelphia, after a show-stopping New York City homecoming at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (July 16).
The MSG crowd got treated to a full-on celebration of hip-hop history. Special guests included Redman, Lil’ Kim, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, The LOX, SWV, and Havoc—a lineup that felt like a live mixtape from the ‘90s golden era.
Is This Really the End for Wu-Tang?
Even though the Wu’s touring days may be behind them, Raekwon left the door open for more music as a group.
“I mean, we tryna get it together, you know? Everybody’s spread out. Everybody’s doing something great in their life, so when it’s time for everybody to get in the room, it just seems like it’s the hardest s—t in the world,” Raekwon said in a video posted online. “But it ain’t like we don’t want to.”
He added: “And then you got so many minds. You throw a beat out and a n—a be like, ‘I like that, I don’t like that.’ It’s hard. It’s real hard, but don’t count us out. Don’t never count us out.”
