Rakim has remained silent since the release of 2009’s The Seventh Seal, but he’s ready to hit the lab to begin work on his next solo LP. Speaking with Complex.com, the Rsaid that he’s been doing shows to stay occupied but that he’s about to start another album with hopes of working with DJ Premier and Pete Rock.

“I’ve got a few tracks and I’m working with some real important people on this one. I’m looking for some real good production. I’m trying to keep it on the low because I don’t think they really gonna expect some of the people that I’m working with. Hopefully, I’ll have some fun on it, make a few statements, and continue the legacy,” he said. “At the same time, I want to take it back to the roots with some of the cats that I love working with: DJ Premier, Pete Rock—some of them cats. I’m definitely not changing what I do, but just getting with a couple cats that people wouldn’t expect or people that I haven’t worked with before.”

He also spoke on rappers that he enjoys, “I’m a big fan of Jay-Z’s whole movement. I’m a big fan of Eminem. I’m a big fan of people like The LOX, Wu-Tang Clan, and different rappers like that. Just watching from afar, knowing where it came from, to see where it’s at now and see how rap impacts the world is unbelievable. It’s a good feeling to see that it’s still a major genre in music.”

The 18th letter also discusses upcoming artists, "To see young artists coming out today, I’m always interested in seeing their struggle: Where they come from, what got ‘em into rap, why they love it, and what they stand for. Everybody’s not gon " be “conscious this” or “pro that” or “this and that,” but everybody got a story. "

Read the full interview at here.