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In the 50+ years of hip-hop’s existence, its artists have found countless ways to express their creativity, despite the mainstream perception that rap, being a genre largely based on spoken word, doesn’t have too many ways to stay original. That notion has been debunked so many times, mainly with MCs creating a plethora of sub-genres within the rap game that expanded the means of artistic expression. There are really too many to name all of them, but one thing’s for sure – the underground scene was always the most innovative when it comes to approaching music, especially on the alternative and indie side of the game. This way, the artists offered much more than just lyrics based on violence, sexism, and consumerism, and even though it mostly wasn’t commercially recognized, like, for instance, “The Cold Vein”<\/em> by Cannibal Ox<\/strong>, “Mind Over Matter”<\/em> by Zion I<\/strong>, or Lootpack<\/strong>‘s “Soundpieces: Da Antidote!”<\/em>, the quality never was questionable, thus creating a smaller but very loyal fan base worldwide as the listeners found true penmanship and relatable subjects more interesting than just plain gangsterism they had little or no connection with.<\/p>\n The late ’90s and early 2000s were pretty much fruitful for the indie movement in terms of many acts emerging from the left-field. Despite the overall commercial decline in later years, the underground kept on giving birth to many artists that wanted stay true to the game and still have fun. Then, in 2013, we got CZARFACE<\/strong> – a comic-book-inspired supergroup praised for its originality, lyrical prowess, creative beats, and memorable visual presentation that created a whole cult of followers, giving them almost a legendary status in only 13 years of existence. Now, they’re back with more good stuff for you lyrical junkies, but this time uniting strength with Frankie Pulitzer<\/strong> a.k.a. the Face Puller<\/strong> a.k.a. Tom MF Hardy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n CZAR!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n To kick it off with a simple fact: if any of y’all had doubts about Hardy<\/strong> being good on the mic, know that he’s not your average actor-turned-rapper. The CZARFACE<\/strong> crew of 7L<\/strong>, Esoteric<\/strong>, and Inspectah Deck<\/strong> wouldn’t team up with anybody that couldn’t match their skills. When the first single, “Brothers Grimm”<\/a><\/em>, dropped about two months ago, it was already clear in which direction they were heading, and judging by that first taste, the destination looked promising. When thinking about CZARFACE<\/strong> teaming up with an actor made famous for playing gangsters, vigilantes, and Batman’s nemesis, to make a comic-book-themed boom bap album, some thought it was a joke, a celebrity gimmick, or just a nerdy vanity project. Instead, we got an album that can easily carry the title of one of hip-hop’s strongest albums of the year. The best part isn’t that Tom<\/strong> can hold his own alongside Rebel INS<\/strong> and Eso<\/strong>; it’s that after a few tracks, you stop caring that he’s Tom Hardy<\/strong> at all.<\/p>\n After a few spins, each one making me more fond of the project, it became clear the CZAR<\/strong> crew didn’t deviate from the style they perfected over the years. With Frankie Pulitzer<\/strong> dropping nothing but fire, they stick with the formula that has worked for them all this time while somehow keeping the whole thing fresh. The texture of “CZARFACE Meets Frankie Pulitzer”<\/em> is clear as day: comic book lore presented by three fantastic MCs, with Frankie<\/strong> in particular going real deep into references from comics, but also movies and literature, leaving quite a lot to catch. While some rappers spend their entire careers trying to convince you they’re the hardest, richest, and flyest cats in the house, these dudes are using the unlimited amount of inspiration from fictional worlds to drop the coolest wordplay and punches, acting like the dopest supervillains to ever grab a microphone.<\/p>\n The soundtrack, as I like to call it, provided by the fantastic producer 7L<\/strong>, simply elevates that comic book feeling. Many of the instrumentals sound like they were pulled out right from a ’90s superhero cartoon or video game. Even though the OST itself is quite different, for some reason I can picture this kind of music to be playing in the background of “Comix Zone”<\/em>; a classic Sega Genesis beat-em-up game from ’95. Almost the whole project literally gives off that Timm-style animation aesthetic that was popular 30 years ago with its retro-modern, noir-influenced, Art Deco-ish vibe (think of “Batman: The Animated Series”<\/em>). Some tracks lean into it more than others, but when listening to the album as a whole, from first to last track, it’s kind of hard to escape the feeling you’ve somehow become a part of a fantastic animated film or video game from that era, particularly noticeable on the piano-driven single “Mad Technology”<\/a><\/em>. At times, I was also really reminded of the legendary “Madvillainy”<\/em> album with a touch of Wu<\/strong> thrown into the mix, but with much heavier beats and somewhat less eclectic atmosphere Madlib<\/strong> created for that project with his abstract style of production and skits. 7L<\/strong> really went all in with his creativity, and unlike many projects nowadays, I didn’t find a single filler track on the album, both instrumentally and lyrically. Another thing worth pointing out are the cool transitions between tracks, done with interludes and instrumentals. The transition between “That’s Law”<\/em> and “Raw Forever”<\/em> in particular, flows almost like a DJ set, with one track naturally spilling into the next. It further enhances the soundtrack-like ambient and makes the album feel more like a complete experience than a simple collection of individual songs. The track arrangement is almost perfect, although I do think that “Brothers Grimm”<\/em> might have been too strong a strong track to open with, especially without a proper intro. <\/p>\n Now, maybe not everybody would be into this kind of backpack-ish style of lyricism and production, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t worth giving it a shot. Throughout the 15-track-long project, I didn’t catch a single dull moment as every track brings something of its own while fitting into the same universe, making the album feel complete rather than scattered. Even the guest MCs \u2014 Method Man<\/strong> on “Mad Technology,”<\/em> Busta Rhymes<\/strong> on “Raw Forever,”<\/em> and El-P<\/strong> on “Dragon Cannon”<\/em> \u2014 add their own flavor to the album’s attractiveness without stealing the spotlight from the main cast. It’s hard, sometimes a bit dark and abstract, even goofy at rare moments, but mostly battle-driven and overly cinematic\u2014the kind of rap that reminds you how much fun it can be when nobody cares about playing it safe. <\/p>\n CZARFACE<\/strong>‘s formula is something we’re well-acquainted with by now, but that doesn’t automatically mean creative stagnation, especially when the chemistry remains this sharp. There’s something refreshing about an album that knows exactly what it wants to be, with Frankie <\/strong>pushing the concept like he’s the original crew member. Even the front cover, a direct homage to the cover of “The Amazing Spider-Man #316”<\/em> comic book, where Venom battles Spidey, gives you an idea of just how much attention and effort went into constructing this entire project. Special shout out for the “Paul Bufano Type Beat”<\/em>, joking about the ‘type beat’ business that’s common nowadays, and making you wondering who the heck is Paul Bufano<\/strong>. A bloody marvelous work right there.<\/p>\n FRANKIE!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n All in all, if you’re reading this and you’re looking for an album that’s made out of love for the music and creativity, you’re on the right side of the internet. Here, we’re not dealing with clout chasers, but instead four extremely dope artists who combined their skills with a love for comic books, movies, and books and turned that mixture into something memorable. If that’s not hip-hop, I don’t know what is.<\/p>\n On a few occasions, I read that some people are wondering whether Frankie Pulitzer<\/strong> is indeed Tom Hardy<\/strong>. Truth be told, at this point that doesn’t even matter as the dude behind the mask stands shoulder to shoulder with INS <\/strong>and Esoteric<\/strong>, providing high-quality ish our culture deserves.<\/p>\n
\nThose grimy kicks, dusty snares, penetrative and intimidating bass lines, and audio comic-book clip samples that are popping up throughout the album make the whole thing indeed feel like a soundtrack to a world that exists between the funny pages and the screen. The brother knows how it’s done and does it the way you can’t complain about. No questions asked, no quarter given.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blackouthiphop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mad-Technology2-1024x944.avif\")
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