Two years ago, fans got a pleasant surprise in the first CZARFACE album. Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and Boston duo 7L & Esoteric joined forces to create what became some of the most exceptional work in their respective careers. It seemed that working with each other brought out the best in both sides as Deck delivered his finest performance in over a decade while 7L & Esoteric got back to hardcore, boom bap raps that helped the duo stand out in the early 2000s. Now, the trio returns with their new album Every Hero Needs a Villain looking to recapture the magic of their first collaboration.
Every Hero Needs a Villain doesn’t look to reinvent the wheel or deviate from what worked on the group’s debut. The sequel covers much of the same ground as the first album as it’s filled with tons of pop culture references and samples. Comic books, television shows, movies, professional wrestling and rap legends are heavily entwined in the rhymes of Deck and Esoteric as well as the samples of DJ 7L.
Once again, Inspectah Deck and Esoteric are in top form. You won’t find these two delivering any social commentary or recounting some gut wrenching stories of their past. This album is pure fun as Deck and Esoteric focus on battle raps and creative wordplay. Their pen game is sharp and the guests only add to that experience.
“Lumberjack Match” is an early standout which highlights the chemistry between Inspectah Deck and Esoteric as they trade bars throughout the track. Deck drops slick rhymes like, “The flow universal, I’m Doctor Who / Soul seeker, I goes deeper than Popa Wu / 100 thou going wild at the Bonnaroo / Wu-Tang forever, you just stopping through.”
Esoteric responds with his own: “Y’all don’t want any of this, score without any assist / Sound boogie down like the brothers Kenny and Kris / Get a better serve, your dream has been deferred / That ain’t God’s path, you’re a pathetic herb.”
CZARFACE also makes some excellent choices when it comes to the guest appearances on this album. Whether it’s East Coast stalwarts like Large Professor and JuJu of the Beatnuts or underground favorites like DOOM and R.A. the Rugged Man, every guest meshes well with the dynamic the group has created.
The Wu-Tang Clan is represented as well as Inspectah Deck’s fellow members Method Man and GZA also appear and truly shine in their respective contributions. GZA, in particular, unleashes a show stealing verse on “When Gods Go Mad.” GZA raps: “A wild dog bit the extended hand / Exposed the secret world of a tormented man, damn / In this world, loose tongues are cut with razors / Something major, inside the darkest corners of twisted behavior.”
While Inspectah Deck and Esoteric are the proverbial stars in this superhero movie of an album, DJ 7L is the director via his work behind the boards. With some help from SPADA4, 7L produces this entire album and helps develop a story on an album that’s by no means a concept album. His sample selection and transitions from track to track create the world where CZARFACE exists.
7L isn’t making generic, stuck in the ‘90s boom-bap beats either. Sure, that classic sound is an inspiration for him, but he finds ways to rework that formula on Every Hero Needs a Villain. He’s not relying on a beat loop then adding some hard knocking drums to it. 7L utilizes cuts, throws in unexpected vocal samples and crafts beats that will have you nodding your head the entire time. 7L also makes heavy use of guitar throughout the album and employs multiple switches on single tracks, most notably on “Escape from Czarkham Asylum.”
Every Hero Needs a Villain is one of the rare sequels that matches the original in quality. The chemistry built on the first CZARFACE album carries over seamlessly to their second effort as Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric seem tailor made to work with one another. 7L’s underrated production shines and perfectly complements the styles of Deck and Esoteric. CZARFACE may know their playing to a niche audience who desires a return to glory days of the ‘90s, but the execution is where CZARFACE differs from most nostalgic acts. The trio deftly finds a way to recapture that feeling without rehashing stale concepts, even if they’re not breaking any new ground. Every Hero Needs a Villain is simply an enjoyable listening experience that any longtime Hip Hop fan is sure to appreciate.
Real talk. Cant wait for part 3… hope there’s ten issues of Czarface. Hiphop at it’s very best in 2015.
So this dope album is 3.5/5 but Kendrick’s overrated (solid not close to a classic or as good as GKMC or Section80 imo) is 5/5? I’m still getting through this but so far of the 5-6 songs i’ve heard it seems like it’s clearly a 4/5 possibly 4.5/5. I never understand when they big up albums throughout reviews and then give 3-3.5/5.
Track with RA the Rugged Man is PURE FIRE. Esoteric and Inspectah Deck bring it on every track also!
Can only have so many features i know so i’m hoping next time for a Diabolc, Locksmith, Elzhi, Apathy, Percee-P, Ka, Crooked I, Royce, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, Skyzoo Features!
So its pure hiphop and only 3.5??
Exactly. What a joke DX became
This is the best album that i’ve heard thus far. Inspectah Deck & 7L & Esoteric has a banger in their hands.
fire front to back.
make sure you are listening on good speakers, this is some BOOM bap. When your neck starts hurting from all the head bangin then you know its a good sign
You’re deaf or stupid – most likely both. I have Genelec G3’s and a SBS PB200 sub, this sounds mediocre at it’s best!
Better than the first album. I loved that album, so that’s no small feat.
DOOM was good. the rest are lame
(usual hater’s reply:
@dan then go back to your lil wayne shit you fake fuck i will kill your family and your whole generation is a piece of shit lol i hope you die of aids)
anyway this album is a piece of overhyped shit 🙂
You can’t just say something is lame and then give no explanation. Thats just about as bad as having a name like dan, or sayin this is a great album and giving it a 3.5.
the production is worse than on their first one which was pretty simple as well ill give it a 3 because they really tried hard
People choose to troll for whatever reason. This album is RAW. This is hip hop. Deck and Eso go in and the production is NASTY. Great features too. What is the problem with this?
Eso is a so-so rapper. Deck is best when teamed with someone equal to his talent such as the Wu. Not a bad album, but the features (Meth, GZA, RA, Large Pro, Ju Ju, and Doom) compensate for Eso’s averageness. Production wise, this joint bangs.
The production is NASTY?? FOH clown. You KNOW this was a letdown! You KNOW 7l’s production is way fuckin better than this! Fuc outta here!
HAHAHA….Power 1911….bruh, you got it EXACTLY backwards. Eso is actually a great rapper, and continues to get better with time. His punchlines are crazy. On the other hand, this beats suck!!! Aside from like 4 of them. Stop it, man.
Been waitin on this. Deck and Eso went in and 7L is nasty on the beats. A purist’s dream.
great album hiphop at its best dont really understand hip hop dx’s rating , their starting to fall like xxl well not that bad but its getting there
I love how this is hiphopdx, but to get a 4 or 5 rating you gotta be soft and have bullshit singing all over your album.
Not a great album, but I could listen to it like once or twice a year. Nothing special, move along.
Go listen Lil Wayne then
Nope, Wayne’s even worse. Sorry for breaking the bubble. :'(
Way too low a rating, this album is an instant hip-hop classic
Absolute breath of fresh air. Dope rhymes over BANGING beats. Just what hip hop needs. Proper lyricism!!!!!!
BANGING beats?? You’re an idiot, man. JUST BECAUSE a fucking hip hop album is boom-bap, doesn’t automatically mean it’s a muthafuckin 5 out of 5! I’m the biggest 7l eso fan in the world, but overall these beats suck! What a fuckin disappointment!
This album is pure 90’s hip-hop with a clever use of comic book and superhero metaphors and a desperately fresh breathe of air from all garbage ass trap records that is out recently. Y’all gave the young fug a 4 but this a 3.5!?! Really please go back and listen to the album several times and has someone else to review this album instead of some jackass with no sensible taste of real hip-hop music.
Should have gotten a higher score. You dudes used to be good at this ratings shit, what happened?
It’s not just them. We have a lot of new generation kids who don’t really know hip hop. They’re too much into swag rap and trap shit.
dope album 5/5
i feel like DX altered the User Rating. Almost every comment is positive but the ratings don’t reflect that. Weird.
Dopeness
10!
out of 100 sure
dope!
dope album gonna make my top 10 for the year for sure!
True hip hop heads should enjoy this album. Takes me back to 90s hip hop before everything got watered down from all the trap rap getting all the kids wanting to sell bricks and shoot people. This is what are youth should be bangin in there head phones… With that being said if hiphopdx is giving young thug and garabage ass rappers like that 4 stars and giving this 3.5 something is terribly wrong with there review system… Maybe thugger or boosie givin em free rocks to smoke.
The beats are horrible and outdated. Whats up with these horible rockbeats and lame boombap beats.
Its. 2015 reinvent shit and dont sound like 20 years ago.
Deck is an example of a skillfull mc with weak albums under his belt.
Must be a Lil Wayne fan.
no sounds like he really knows good music which this album COULDVE been but its done all wrong get adrian younge or premo behind the boards and then its all good
I agree, man!! The beats really are lackluster for a producer like 7L. Huge fan of these guys, waaaayyy before CZARFACE existed. These are some of the worst 7L beats I’ve ever heard. I’m not saying the whole album is horrible, there are definitely 4 or 5 songs that are great, but the first Czarface is way fuckin better. 7L fucked up on this one. DX is actually right with the rating this time.
Wo. This should be a 5. Every track GOES IN. How isn’t this a 5? Even the actual review itself is overwhelmingly positive….this site is broken and needs help.
to me czar-face is the blueprint for a perfect hip-hop album, no soft shit no trap-boy shit…and no musterd on the beat hoe— this album is as good as it gets. 5/5
Solid 4
This year we are spoilt for rap music. This is no exception. It’s definitely top 3 for me this year.
This is the year underground hiphop came back! The recession is over! Quality hip hop is back!
Canibus
Czarface
Kendrick lamar
Diamond d
Killah priest
Camp lo
Esoteric needs a voice transplant
Fantastic album and a glowing review. So…..3.5??? WTF?
My thoughts exactly…
Definitely better than a 3.5. Maybe not a 5, but these guys don’t mess around. The beats to me are hit or miss, that’s why it’s not a 5. However, most of the beats on the album are dope. The corny, auto-tune r and b trap crap that keeps coming out hurts the genre as a whole. Lil sneezy, lil cheezy, young snug and lil thug water down hiphop. 7L, Eso and Deck are real. These guys are staying true to the art and innovating. Maybe it’s not the same Boom Bap from the 90’s but it’s close. Some heads keep saying that boombap is dead or over or has succumbed to the new ish, but there’s still a place for it. This new Hip-pop stuff is a subgenre- like Preemo and Guru said years ago- “it’s something else”. Boom Bap is the heart of the art
It still doesn’t automatically mean this is a dope album – BECAUSE THE PRODUCTION IS NOT NEAR THE QUALITY OF PREMIER’S BEATS. Do you understand? Probably not, but I had to try.
“The beats to me are a hit or miss….However, most of the beats on the album are dope.” Bro, isn’t that a contradiction? Anyway though, you are right about the first part! The beats really are hit or miss….most of them are NOT dope.
Amazing album. I loved the beats and their lyricism!
The ratings are messed up. This is way better than a 3.
mediocre like all your moms
Album Of The Year
I was disappointed with this one. I thought the first one was so much better. I was expecting more.
Boom Bap. Feel like I’m in high school back in 1996.
i feel bad for your high school years sounds like they were terrible
Boom bap is the best kind of hip hop.
Now this is what hip hop needs to sound like.
This has not left my CD player. Truly a perfect album. Real hip hop.
Finally some real shit. This is a top 5 album for this year.
great
Deck and Esoteric kill this with their battle raps. And the production is very interesting. It’s got boom bap mixed with some guitars that has never been done before that way. I think it’s better than the first.
Beats and rhymes. Best songs are “When Gods Go Mad” “The Great (Czar Guitar)” “Good Villains Go Last” “Deadly Class” “Sgt Slaughter” etc. No weak tracks on here. Y’all really need to check this out!
Damn this fire. It’s a real throwback to that no nonsense hip hop from the 80s and 90s. Hard boom bap beats, battle rhymes, and it’s sick how they throw the references to comic books, pro wrestling, old school hip hop, and pop culture in general. Deck is at his best, and Esoteric really steps up. The guests do their thing. Not one weak track. Can’t get enough of this.
This goes HARD. Beats, lyrics, imagery, originality. No gimmicks.
Czarface is lyrical excellence. Album of the year for sure!
Daaaaaaamn. This takes me back. It’s boom bap and doesn’t sound dated. The emcees bring it too!
I was a huge fan of the first one and was obviously anticipating this. And it delivered big time. Deck is in Rebel INS form, and Esoteric has come a long way as an MC. 7L on the beats is just a monster.
“I bully niggas for sport, Richie Incognito. We don’t give a fuck, Gibson and Glover, weapons are lethal.”
This album is a lyrical assault from both Deck and Eso and 7L did his thing on the beats. Salute!
Back to the essence!! I’m so glad they released this. The game needs this,
Can’t stop spinning this album. “Sgt Slaughter” is that shit. Rebel INS is back and Esoteric doesn’t disappoint.
Fire with after burners. Buy this y’all!
Fire. Inspectah Deck and Esoteric are real emcees. 7L’s beats though make him the MVP of this.
This is definitely in my top 5 so far. Probably will remain there by the year’s end depending on what comes out. Deck still has a lot of fire and when he’s given the right beats, he’s unstoppable. Esoteric has stepped up again and delivers probably his best performance. The features do their thing. GZA and RA The Rugged Man in particular, stand out. As does Method Man who hasn’t lost a step. Meyhem Lauren is supposedly joining Deck, Eso, and 7L to form a new group called Deadly Class, like the title to the song they did on this, and that should be absolutely SLAMMING.
I didn’t think they could top the first one but they did. These two have great chemistry spitting over these boom bap beats. Great battle raps. Lots of sick lines. Real lyricism.
This is tough. These dudes have delivered a 2 for 2 with this one. Hope they continue this series because hip hop needs this fire.
Killin the game!!… Album of the year for me.
Straight fire!!. Shout out to Rebel INS!
Real ish.
Love this album. Got it on both ITunes and CD form!
Don’t sleep y’all. It’s the Rebel INS doing it like only he can!. Esoteric did his thing too, and 7L on dem beats is nasty.
This is a must buy! I wish 7L would have produced the last Wu Tang album. Deck, GZA, Method Man, all sound great, and Esoteric has gotten better and better.
Peep da fly shit, y’all! Czarface got that heat.
Dope lyrics and beats. Don’t stop y’all!. We need music like this!.
This album bangs. In that rotation.
So glad I picked this up! Deck on fire.
Do the damn thing, Deck! This is at least a 4. Nothing really wrong with it, it’s just not for everybody.
I hope they do a part 3. This is the real deal.
Rebel INS wears the crown. Dude is a real lyricist. And 7L & Esoteric are too slept on.
Deck and Esoteric are in a zone. 7L is a slept on producer. Hopefully more emcees will start to go to him for beats now.
Got this and the new Skyzoo on repeat. Plus I’m going to see the Czarface with RA The Rugged Man in Cambridge tomorrow night. Y’all straight up have no clue what your missing out on.
This takes me back to the 90s era. But they put their own spin on it. Great lyrics and beats.
Good album but NOT better than the first
This is the dopeness. Deck is truly one of the best lyricists out and Eso gets better every album.
Love this shit
greeat stuff
Flames!!
This shit is tough!
Love all these cats and love both these Czarface albums. Instant cult-classic comic-book lyrical artillery. Deck is straight murdering shit as Czarfonzerelli. It’s like the Wu gave us all that dope Wu shit and then broke us off with Czarface. Great album 4.8/5
very good album. Nice featuring
Too dope
Dope emceeing over hard beats.