Rakim - "Holy Are You" (Ra Records/Fontana/UMG)

It took Rakim 10 years to finally prep another solo album, but if "Holy Are You" is any indicator, The Seventh Seal may be worth the wait.

"Holy Are You," the lead cut off Rakim's long-delayed 7th Seal, is a comeback anthem of epic proportions. It unfolds quietly, like the calm before the storm, and then lunges into a gale of synth blasts. The cinematic aural texture perfectly accentuates the return of a music icon.

Rather than alter his M.O. to reflect the current hip-hop landscape, Rakim simply updated his music and stuck to his core lyrical values. As you can tell from the title, spirituality is a theme on "Holy Are You." It's actually more like a vehicle for channeling his braggart. Like he did on much of The 18th Letter, Ra juxtaposes his poetry with the holy scriptures, occasionally recycling a few familiar rhymes from that album. It's like a comeback tune and a re-introduction at the same time.

The lush production allows him to relax and sink into the soundbed with his trademark laid-back flow. Ra sounds fierce and focused throughout, rhyming with a force unheard of on the numerous false starts en route to the release of Seventh Seal.