Czarface HHV Records 16 Items

The supergroup in comic look

In the real world, Czarface is the name of the hip-hop supergroup made up of legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper Inspectah Deck and underground DJ/MC duo 7L & Esoteric. The trio’s collaboration dates back to 1999, when Inspectah Deck guested on 7L & Esoteric’s single Speaking Real Words. Deck was later featured on 12th Chamber, a track on 7L & Esoteric’s 2010 album 1212. Esoteric spoke of the album’s creation as fun among friends that eventually led to a character representing all three members. Inspectah Deck told HipHopDX’s Paul Meara in 2013 that the album had no goals, but that it was to create something worth listening to.

Action Rap

Since debuting with the self-titled album in 2013, the group has regularly released action-laden vinyls and singles with covers inspired by old comics, with similarly explosive, exciting lyrics and solid production that stays true to hip-hop’s golden era of the late ‘80s/early ’90s. The album was based on the character of Czarface, a hero who would save hip-hop, and was drawn by Lamour Supreme in a comic book style reminiscent of the work of DC Comics cartoonist Jack Kirby. Czarface features guest appearances by Action Bronson, Vinnie Paz and Wu-Tang MCs Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna, and was produced by 7L and Spada4. The record was well received by fans of underground hip-hop and was quickly followed by the limited edition 7" single Czardi Gras (It’s Raw Again). The trio returned in 2015 with the second vinyl Every Hero Needs a Villain that continued the theme and production style of the first album (with a bit more emphasis on crunchy guitar riffs) and featured guest verses from MF Doom, Large Professor, Ju-Ju of the Beatnuts and Wu-Tang’s Method Man and GZA. The following year, Marvel asked the trio to contribute musically to the Black Panther web series. The creative revival from one of their biggest inspirations sent Czarface back into the studio to produce their third album, A Fistful of Peril, which was released in late 2016. A fourth, First Weapon Drawn, appeared in 2017; unlike the group’s previous albums, this one did not feature rapping, only narration. Then, for the 2018 album Czarface Meets Metal Face, Czarface teamed up with MF Doom again, and Open Mike Eagle, Vinnie Paz and Blacastan also made appearances. The group’s long-awaited collaboration with Ghostface Killah, Czarface Meets Ghostface, was released in 2019, and Double Dose of Danger, an instrumental vinyl accompanied by a 20-page comic book, was then released on Record Store Day. The Odd Czar Against Us appeared later in the year as a special Black Friday Record Store Day release.

New Villain Stories

In April 2020, Czarface recorded another collaboration with MF Doom and originally planned to release the album that same month, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release was delayed. Super What? was finally released in May 2021, making it the late rapper’s first posthumous vinyl. The instrumental Czar Noir appeared two months later, and the EP Music from Venom: Let There Be Carnage was released the following November. In 2022, the group’s graphic novel A Czar Is Born was released, with an exclusive 7" EP included with some editions. Czarface then released the album Czarmageddon! featuring guest appearances by Kool Keith and Frankie Pulitzer. This was their second album to chart on the Billboard 200 after their first release with MF Doom.