Czarface

Czarface (/ˈzɑːrfeɪs/) (often stylized as CZARFACE) 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.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

Inspectah Deck told Paul Meara of HipHopDX in February 2013, that the album had no goals, but to "create something worth listening to".^[4] 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.^[4]

The Czarface mascot was designed by artist Brad Hudson as a gift to Esoteric.^[5] He is characterized by the group as an “anti-hero,” similar to comic book characters like Marvel’s Wolverine.^[6] 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.^[6]