Whether or not you like the pulpy sci-fi yarns of Deltron 3030, the razor-sharp horrorcore of the Gravediggaz, the Atlanta stomp of Bankroll Mafia, or the moody indie-rap bliss of Madvillain, supergroups used to dominate many corners of rap. They aren’t precisely en vogue for the time being, however Czarface, made up of Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and the Massachusetts duo 7L & Esoteric, persists. Since 2013, the trio has outlined itself via mutual loyalty to old-school hip-hop and Silver and Bronze Age comedian books. Czarface make hard-nosed, barely goofy boom-bap for individuals who can determine Cella Dwellaz deep cuts as readily because the distinction between John Romita and Steve Ditko’s work on Spider-Man.
Tremendous What?, their 2021 collaboration with the late MF DOOM, was a high-water mark animated by the presence of rap’s biggest supervillain. Czarface’s newest, Czartificial Intelligence, performs out extra like a Guardians of the Galaxy-style buddy action-dramedy. That is nerdy dad rap projected via a cel-shaded lens, a batch of average-to-pretty-good songs that don’t take many dangers. Over 7L’s samples and dusty drums, Deck and Esoteric’s raps vary from intelligent to lazy. Deck is thought for his direct language, an strategy that works greatest when he’s in storytelling mode: On the darkish and heartfelt “Sirens,” he awakens to a tragic morning-after and “thugs crying.” That curt fashion doesn’t translate as properly to his punchlines. Half-assed bars like “Taking ’em to class like I’m driving a faculty bus” (“You Know My Model”) or “It’s Ray’s pizzeria how I serve it to ’em pronto” (“Blast Off”) pale beside his once-earthshaking bars.
Esoteric takes larger lyrical swings and will get wilder outcomes. His fashion is lighter and his references are extra particular, utilizing Golden State Warriors level guard Steph Curry’s mouthguard and motion-capture actor Andy Serkis to large up his rap expertise—or disgrace others’. He isn’t resistant to groaners—if I by no means hear one other of his “czar” puns once more, it’ll be too quickly—however he no less than doesn’t take himself too significantly. “Rivalries is short-lived, like dwarves is,” he says on “You Know My Model” earlier than instantly hanging a lampshade on his phrases: “I take that line again/They couldn’t get it off the observe with forklifts.”
