Czarface
{{Short description|American hip hop super group}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Czarface
| image = CZARFACE in Somerville.jpg
| caption = Czarface's Esoteric, 7L and Inspectah Deck
| landscape = yes
| origin =
| genre = {{hlist|East Coast hip hop|alternative hip hop}}
| years_active = 2013–present
| label = {{hlist|Brick Records|Silver Age|Virgin Music Group}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Army of the Pharaohs|Demigodz|DJ Premier|Ghostface Killah|MF Doom|Kendra Morris}}
| website =
| current_members = * Inspectah Deck
| alias =
}}
Czarface ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|ɑː|r|f|eɪ|s}}; often stylized in all caps) is an American hip hop supergroup formed in 2013 by underground hip hop duo 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck. They released their acclaimed debut album, Czarface, on February 19, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/czarface/inspectah-deck |title=Critic Reviews for Czarface |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=2013-04-15}}
The album was followed by Every Hero Needs a Villain in 2015 and A Fistful of Peril in 2016, both of which were also praised by critics.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/every-hero-needs-a-villain/czarface |title=Reviews for Every Hero Needs a Villain by Czarface |publisher=Metacritic |date=2015-06-18 |access-date=2015-06-27}}{{cite web |url=http://www.dbknews.com/2016/11/08/czarface-fistful-of-peril-review/ |title=Review: Listening to Czarface's 'A Fistful of Peril' is like reading a good comic book |publisher=The Diamondback |date=2016-11-07 |access-date=2017-01-03}}
History
Inspectah Deck told Paul Meara of HipHopDX in February 2013, that the album had no goals, but to "create something worth listening to".{{cite web |last=Meara |first=Paul |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.2040/title.inspectah-deck-says-esoteric-is-up-there-with-eminem-czarface-is-a-friendly-duel- |title=Inspectah Deck Says Esoteric Is "Up There" With Eminem & CZARFACE Is A "Friendly Duel" |website=HipHopDX |date=2013-02-11 |access-date=2013-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014090003/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.2040/title.inspectah-deck-says-esoteric-is-up-there-with-eminem-czarface-is-a-friendly-duel- |archive-date=2013-10-14 |url-status=dead }} Inspectah Deck had worked with 7L & Esoteric on tour and two previous tracks: the duo's song "Speaking Real Words" from the 2001 album The Soul Purpose and "12th Chamber" from their 2010 album 1212. From 2013 onward, the trio decided to release further collaborations under the singular “Czarface” moniker. Esoteric spoke of the album's origin as fun between friends, which ultimately led to a character that represented all three members.
Czarface Visual Identity
Czarface is noted not only for its hip-hop sound but also for its distinctive comic-book aesthetic. From the group’s inception, artist L'Amour Supreme has been responsible for creating and developing Czarface’s visual identity.{{Cite web |last=McGuirk |first=Brendan |date=2017-04-21 |title=LISTEN & READ: Rap's Czarface Comes to Life Through Throwback Comic-Vinyl Combo |url=https://www.cbr.com/czarface-first-weapon-drawn-preview-interview/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=CBR |language=en}}
The self-titled debut album, Czarface (2013), introduced a striking silver-masked character bursting through a comic panel, reflecting the group’s retro-inspired, superhero themes.[http://pinterest.com Pinterest] This illustrated persona, envisioned by L’Amour Supreme, became central to the group’s brand and continues to feature prominently in music videos, live performances, and album art.
Subsequent releases—including Every Hero Needs a Villain (2015), A Fistful of Peril (2016), Czarface Meets Metal Face (2018, featuring MF DOOM), and Czarface Meets Ghostface (2019, with Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah)—further expanded the comic-inspired universe. Each album cover portrays the titular character, designed by L’Amour Supreme, in vivid and often action-packed scenarios, replete with references to classic comics. The artwork routinely appears in mini-comics or liner notes packaged with the group’s vinyl releases, reinforcing Czarface’s cohesive style.{{Cite web |title=Lamour Supreme |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/3153027-Lamour-Supreme?srsltid=AfmBOopwSCwwub55mAtcmvoOzXFMu-oBCyJ139OIIUTWa96hVnCaE1_7 |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Discogs |language=en}}
In addition to album illustrations, Czarface often incorporates L’Amour Supreme’s art into promotional comics and costumes for stage use, bridging the gap between 2D comic visuals and live performance. In 2021, the group issued a limited comic book titled Czar Noir, featuring his cover art and character designs.{{cite web | url=https://getondown.com/products/czar-noir-colored-lp-comic-book?srsltid=AfmBOorXJjW4bdzOrmg4QJHtdKGeRs40dxrplCLBHDDhAzqspmJ0Jyem | title=Czar Noir (Colored LP + Comic Book) }} Most recently, Czartificial Intelligence (2023) showcased another futuristic twist on the Czarface aesthetic, again underscoring L’Amour Supreme’s role as the conceptual force behind the group’s visual storytelling.{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/master/3322885-Czarface-Czartificial-Intelligence-?srsltid=AfmBOopqVU3f8IFVm49fOzEZH9JDNG5v3_Pj1u58EVNOepQfSPd4Tbpz | title=Czarface - Czartificial Intelligence | website=Discogs | date=2023 }}
Collectors of Czarface vinyl often cite the imaginative album covers as a major draw, and multiple variant covers (standard, deluxe, or special editions) have been released to showcase additional artwork. Art dealers such as House of Roulx have highlighted the ongoing appeal of L’Amour Supreme’s process sketches, noting their significance in shaping the Czarface mythos.[http://houseofroulx.com House of Roulx]
Inspectah Deck shared with Vice that the character's name intentionally draws a parallel to "Scarface," as they intend for their collaborative rap persona to elicit the same respect as cult followers do for the movie's titular character.{{Cite web |last=Olmstead |first=Todd |date=2015-07-02 |title=Every Czarface Needs a Villain: The Underground Hip-Hop Group Talks Their Return |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/czarface-interview-every-hero-needs-a-villain-2015/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Vice |language=en}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+List of studio albums, with selected details and peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Label ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Formats ! scope="col" colspan="6" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Notes |
| style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US {{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/czarface/chart-history/billboard-200|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518133740/https://www.billboard.com/music/czarface/chart-history/billboard-200|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2018|title=Czarface Chart History|work=Billboard 200|access-date=April 10, 2018}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-05-07/ |title=Billboard 200: Week of May 7, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=May 3, 2022}} ! style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US ! style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US ! style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US ! style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US ! style="width:3em;font-size:85%;" |US |
|---|
| 2013
| Brick Records | CD, LP, cassette, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |34 | style="text-align:center;" |20 | style="text-align:center;" |45 | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2015
| Brick Records | CD, LP, cassette, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |15 | style="text-align:center;" |15 | style="text-align:center;" |19 | style="text-align:center;" |4 | style="text-align:center;" |15 | |
| 2016
| Silver Age | CD, LP, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |21 | style="text-align:center;" |14 | style="text-align:center;" |28 | style="text-align:center;" |8 | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2017
| Silver Age | LP, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |44 | style="text-align:center;" |16 | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2018
| Silver Age | CD, LP, cassette, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |134 | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |5 | style="text-align:center;" |1 | style="text-align:center;" |5 |Recorded with MF Doom |
| 2019
| Silver Age | CD, LP, cassette, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |8 | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |4 |Recorded with Ghostface Killah |
| 2019
|Double Dose of Danger | Silver Age | LP, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2019
|The Odd Czar Against Us | Silver Age | CD, LP, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2021
| Silver Age | CD, LP, cassette, digital download | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— |Recorded with MF Doom |
| 2021
| Silver Age | LP | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2022
| Silver Age | CD, LP | style="text-align:center;" |178 | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |26 | style="text-align:center;" |1 | style="text-align:center;" |— | |
| 2023
| Silver Age | CD, LP, cassette | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |7 | style="text-align:center;" |— |
| 2024
| Silver Age | CD, LP, cassette | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— | style="text-align:center;" |— |Recorded with Kool Keith |
=EPs=
| class="wikitable"
! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| Notes |
| 2018
|Man's Worst Enemy | Silver Age |Recorded with MF Doom |
| 2019
|Dog Days of Tomorrow | Silver Age |
| 2021
|Good Guys, Bad Guys | Silver Age | |
=Music videos=
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Album Title !Song Title !Director !Featured Artist |
| rowspan="2" |2013
| rowspan="2" |Czarface |Air 'em Out | rowspan="2" |McFarland & Pecci | rowspan="4" | |
| Hazmat Rap |
| rowspan="2" |2015
| rowspan="2" |Every Hero Needs a Villain |The Great (Czar Guitar) | rowspan="2" |Sev One Media |
| Sgt. Slaughter |
| rowspan="2" |2018
| rowspan="2" |Czarface Meets Metal Face |Bomb Thrown |Kendra Morris | rowspan="2" |MF Doom |
| Meddle with Metal
|James Reitano |
| rowspan="2" |2019
| rowspan="2" |Czarface Meets Ghostface |Mongolian Beef |Shawn A. Johnson | rowspan="2" |Ghostface Killah |
| Powers and Stuff
|Josh Mac |
| rowspan="2" |2020
| rowspan="2" |The Odd Czar Against Us |Couch |DJ Manipulator |
| Bizarro
|Mike Pecci |
| 2023
|Czartificial Intelligence |Czarchimedes' Death Ray |Hoku & Adam |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Inspectah Deck}}
{{7L & Esoteric}}
{{Wu-Tang Clan}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American hip-hop trios
Category:Musical groups established in 2013