Queensbridge MC Cormega released The Realness II today (10/7), the highly anticipated follow-up to 2001's The Realness.

The 13-song project contains features by Nas, Lloyd Banks, and Havoc and brings back producers Havoc, The Alchemist, Sha Money XL and Big Ty. Additional production comes from Domingo, Harry Fraud, Large Professor, Street Runner, Popsyyz and Cam. Domingo, who produced the intro track "Once And For All," spoke to Rock the Bells about working with the rapper.

"I met Cormega years ago through DJ J Love and always respected his craft and music," he said. "Adding him to my resume of artists was definitely a must and I think him for making me a part of this classic album."

"Essential," the lead single, dropped in August and is produced by multi-platinum producer Havoc of Mobb Deep. The Realness II marks Cormega's comeback after a brief hiatus from music, during which he's written two books, launched a fashion line, created a collaborative art series with visual artist Amar Stewart, and curated several fashion capsules with Privilege NYC.

Cormega's catalog includes powerhouse albums like Mega Philosophy, The Realness, and The True Meaning to name a few. His Mega EP produced entirely by Streetrunner and released April 10, 2020, just weeks before the pandemic peaked, garnered over 1.1 million streams on Spotify alone.