CZARFACE (INSPECTAH DECK + 7L & ESOTERIC)
Self Titled
Brick (2013)
Revisiting a collaboration that first appeared on the title track of Speaking Real Words, the debut EP by 7L & Esoteric, the Beantown duo has teamed up with Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck again. Some 14 years later the three veterans come together with a full-length superhero project titled Czarface. Taking into account the back catalogue of the parties involved, it comes as no surprise that the modus operandi here is gritty, hard-line boom-bap.The album is a clear indication that both Esoteric, at over a decade in the game, and Deck, at nearly twice as long, are still exceptional rhyme-slingers. The two effortlessly intertwine braggadocios liberetti with a myriad of cleverly placed pop culture references, and do so at well-paced clips. Amidst a period of rap music that sees increasingly less emphasis placed actual mic skills in favor of marketable personality, Deck and Esoteric remind listeners that emceeing is a true art form.However, Czarface is not only a showcase of the lyrical prowess of the journeymen emcees, but also of the beat-creation and turntable abilities of 7L. Aside from the requisite DJ Premier track, “Let it Off,” the entirety of the production is owned by 7L. Ripe with cartoon, wrestling, and … Read more
Various Artists
Northless / Light Bearer - Split LP
Halo of Flies (2012)
Lightbearer and Northless are two bands that tend to resemble parallel curved lines. They share bits and pieces stylistically but … Read more
Various Artists
So Cow/Squarehead - Out of Season
Inflated Records (2012)
Out of Season is a two-band split 12” from Inflated Records that presents two Irish Groups, So Cow on Side … Read more
The Capitalist Kids
Lessons on Love, Sharing, and Hygiene
Toxic Pop (2012)
Holy Lookout Records! The Capitalist Kids’ Lessons on Love, Sharing, and Hygiene bears some stark similarities to the output of … Read more
