Corey Woods - a.k.a. Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan - announced on social media last week that his seventh solo album will be released sometime in 2017.
"LP IS DONE !!!!! #blades is sharpened. # 2017 release litted !!!!! I will always appreciate real rap.....#factual," The Chef declared on his Instagram.
Raekwon's previous album, Fly International Luxurious, received a mostly positive reception from critics, but many expressed dismay that the Wu-Tang rapper and pioneer of so-called "Mafioso" rap chose to focus on more glamorous and jet-setting themes for the album. Despite the change in tone, critics still generally liked the album, lavishing praise on Raekwon's skills as an emcee and lyricist."Fly International Luxurious Art goes a long way to remind everyone of why Raekwon is one of the greatest to ever wield a microphone. His flow is masterful, his lines are sharp, and his verbiage is as dense and intricate as it’s ever been," The AV Club wrote in their review of the album.
Hopefully Raekwon will produce more than one copy of this album, as the sole copy of the most recent Wu-Tang album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, is still being held hostage by pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli, who won the album in an auction for over 2 million dollars. Shkreli, who is still awaiting trial over fraud charges, released snippets of the album online to celebrate Donald Trump's election win.
