Today, Raekwon releases his seventh solo album, The Wild. This is the first release of Rae’s nearly 22-year solo career where he has not collaborated with any Wu-Tang Clan band-mates. The brotherhood and chemistry remains strong, indicative of this week’s Ghostface Killah appearance on the remix of lead single “This Is What It Comes Too.”

Speaking with Consequence Of Sound, Rae’ (who calls out some of the qualities that irk him in the modern music industry on The Wild) provided his Top 10 albums of all time:

Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle
Big Daddy Kane – Long Live the Kane
The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
Nas – Illmatic
Mobb Deep – Hell on Earth
Mary J. Blige – My Life
Eric B. & Rakim – Follow the Leader

Raekwon Discusses His New Album, Working With OutKast, His Wu-Tang Classics & More

What Heads will recognize is that 1993’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is not included in the list. Wu-Tang’s legendary debut Loud/RCA Records release is where Raekwon made his career vocal debut, after years in the Staten Island and greater New York City underground. Shallah rapped on seven of that multi-platinum’s 13 songs, including three of the four singles.

Raekwon did include Ghostface’s 2000 sophomore LP, Supreme Clientele. “Some records you know when you hear it finally together, you kind of already know what you’re doing. One thing about [Ghostface Killah and me], we’re music architects, and we only want to make the best every time,” Rae’ said. He appeared on two songs from the gold-certified Razor Sharp/Epic Records album, extensively produced by RZA at a time when Clansmen were shifting away from The Abbott at the boards.

RZA Explains Why Wu-Tang Clan’s Next Album Is Ghostface Killah’s Responsibility (Video)

Then, the creator of 2009’s Top 5-charting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. 2 provided some news on his rhyme partner. “I know Ghost’ was saying he was going to work on [Supreme Clientele 2], but I guess he got sideswiped, because Ghost’ is a hard worker; he’s all over the place. I guess when it’s time for you to have it, you’ll have it, but I can’t tell you exactly when or what’s his plan. It just depends how he feels at that moment. If he wants it to come out, it’s going to come, so we’ll see.”

Rae’ also selected his own aforementioned debut. Additionally, he selected Mobb Deep’s third album, on which he was a guest involved in making.

Nas’ Illmatic Is 1 of 4 Hip-Hop Albums Being Preserved in Harvard’s Library

In discussing B.D.K.’s 1988 debut, Chef revealed that King Asiatic had knighted the Shaolin shogun. “I seen Big Daddy Kane one day. He told me, ‘Yo, you don’t have to do anything else; you’re in the books already, congratulations.’ It was like being in the hall of fame.”

The detailed descriptions of Raekwon’s 10 favorite albums (which include Hip-Hop and R&B) are available at Consequence Of Sound.

Raekwon’s J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League Single Hints At What Wu’s Next LP May Sound Like (Video)

#BonusBeat: Some of the best highlights from The Wild have been included on Ambrosia For Heads‘ playlist. Four songs in particular join newly-released essentials from Devin The Dude, Oddisee, Rick Ross, Drake, and Dreamville’s J.I.D., among many others:

One of the tracks, “Marvin,” featuring CeeLo Green, is a biographic homage to Marvin Gaye.