- It’s no giant secret that yours truly is a pretty big MF DOOM fan. In my eyes he’s one of those rappers that could be reading from the phone book and my head would be nodding along uncontrollably like the tail of a very good doggo. While there hasn’t been a solo DOOM joint in almost a decade, the man in the mask has flourished as the exemplary collaborator; his latest tag team a full-length with underground hip-hop supergroup Czarface, that features the incredibly overlooked and underrated Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck and MC/producer duo 7L and Esoteric.
On the aptly titled Czarface Meets Metal Face, the newly formed alliance fully embrace their inner superhero, something DOOM has made his trademark for over twenty years, long before Marvel’s cinematic universe turned the Avengers into an uncontrollable cash cow. As per usual MF DOOM plays the role of the not-super-bothered villain, whilst the collective Czarface play their position as the reluctant hero. Together their larger than life alter-egos spending the ensuing forty-five minutes going at it indirectly by trying to out-rap one another over 7L’s dark and dystopian boom bap production that paints the perfect backdrop for an extremely enjoyable if somewhat mild confrontation: the comic book gimmick feeling slightly unnecessary with this level of talent and experience on display.
Throughout Czarface Meets Metal Face a handful of skits enforce the greater narrative of the record, though despite not being horrible, fall into the usual trap of most skits. They threaten to disrupt the overall flow of the record and after you’ve heard them once you’d almost prefer they weren’t there at all. Luckily for the listener the forty minutes that contain the fully-fledged songs are completely on point. The three MCs here show off their world class word play and lyricism at every turn, their vivid imagery and wild metaphors painting a picture of seedy underworlds and grimy undertakings; each rapper playing off each so incredibly well, with every transition fluid despite each MC's distinct delivery, style and flow.
Despite the heavy-hitters involved it wouldn’t be a shock if none but the most avid hip-hop fans jump on this record, which would be a crying shame as Czarface Meets Metal Face is currently my favourite rap album of this, admittedly young, year to date. While the theme of the record may be a gimmick, there’s absolutely nothing flippant nor disposable contained in the majority of this release. It’s an ominous, playful and darkly humorous record that is pulled off with an unnerving ease. It's the sort of thing only a handful of hip-hop veterans could accomplish with such style and technique. Czarface Meets Metal Face may not be the most bombastic battle witnessed in the history of comic book confrontations, but it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable.
- Jay Edwards.