Raekwon – The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor’s New Clothes is the eighth studio album by Raekwon, released in July 2025 on Ice H20 and Mass Appeal Records. It includes guest appearances from Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher and Nas, with production by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Nottz, Swizz Beatz and others. The record continues Raekwon’s trademark street narratives and gritty lyricism, blending boom-bap traditions with polished modern production.

The album has been described as a mix of strengths and shortcomings: Raekwon’s rapping remains sharp and authoritative, while some critics note the beats lean on nostalgia and familiar formulas. It feels both like a celebration of legacy and an effort to hold ground in a shifting hip hop landscape, rather than a bold stylistic leap.

Reviews

“The Emperor’s New Clothes—the second entry in Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series… It’s one of those Wu albums that doesn’t feel like a Wu album, brimming with horns and Akai drums. The songs are defined less by sounds or ideas than by their sanded-down edges: plodding beats from Nottz and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, histrionic Marsha Ambrosius hooks, putative passings of the torch.” — Pitchfork

“The entire musical palette lacks any intrigue or seductiveness. Everything feels like it’s cranked up too loud in the mix and pasted with a synthetic and unappealing gloss. However, Raekwon himself is on solid form.” — Clash

If you like:

Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Method Man, Griselda (Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher), Gang Starr