CZARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (Edited)

Album review

Not unlike Run the Jewels, Czarface started off as a side project between established hip-hop acts, then quickly took on a life of its own -- with such a distinctive, character-driven aesthetic, as well as an enthusiastic audience response, there's no way it could've been limited to a one-off. A decade after Boston underground rap duo 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan MC Inspectah Deck first officially joined forces (though they had worked together a few times in the past), Czarface had amassed a lengthy discography filled with collaborations (Ghostface Killah, MF DOOM), instrumental records, and a boatload of limited-edition vinyl pressings, as well as graphic novels and action figures, tying into the project's comic-inspired theme. The title of 2023's Czartificial Intelligence might imply that they're just generating more product at this point, but the music itself is still loaded with personality, and even if the album doesn't break any new ground, it's still as enjoyable as anything else they've done. The rappers are all highly charismatic, while the production is always energetic, switching it up between futuristic synth-funk and gritty Wu-Tang-style boom-bap. Opener "Czarchimedes" hints at a technological theme, with a line about having a chip inside one's brain, but most of the lyrics veer between action-packed bravado and nostalgic reflections. The playfully violent "You Know My Style" takes shots at mediocre rappers ("Your music ain't hard to find, it's hard to care about"), while a sinister alter ego openly mocks Logic during his guest appearance on the amusing "Gatecrasher." Two of the most memorable songs track a lifelong obsession with comics back to childhood. "Mama's Basement," with a chorus riffing on A Tribe Called Quest's "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo," details a journey back home in order to find old comics (only to be reminded that they were sold ages ago), while "Marvel at That (Road Trip)" alphabetically lists Marvel characters during a car ride game. Kool Keith and Godfather Don reunite on the tough but breezy "Helicopter," which comes across like it was written during a casual backyard hangout. Keith reappears on the more abstract, brain-twisting "Live from Czarnegie Hall," one of two bonus tracks along with the choppy, scratch-happy instrumental "One Eleven Chelsea."

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