This is not an act…

Most people probably already know this, but for anyone who doesn’t: CZARFACE Meets Frankie Pulitzer is a collaboration between CZARFACE (Inspectah Deck, Esoteric, and 7L) and the lesser-seen MC Frankie Pulitzer, a.k.a. Tom Hardy. I’d heard some Frankie Pulitzer before, including his 2025 singles, but you never really know how things will go when someone steps into another art form. This time, though, Frankie Pulitzer showed and proved he can hold his own.

I won’t lie: “Brothers Grimm” is dope, but it also left me a little nervous. I loved the beat and what Inspectah Deck and Esoteric brought to it, but I was mixed on Frankie Pulitzer’s verse on this first song. Thankfully, it’s the main track I didn’t fully click with, even if there are a few other minor moments that are less worth mentioning. Then “All It Takes Is One Bad Day” set things back on course. “That’s Law” is a good song, but I actually didn’t love the beat switch that takes over the last minute-plus.

The songs with features stand out as favorites. The extra MC on those cuts raises the temperature and forces everyone to step up 100%. “Raw Forever” with Busta Rhymes, “Mad Technology” with Method Man, and “Dragon Cannon” with El-P all bring heat, and those limited features leave a real mark. That momentum continues on “Frankie,” which features Kendra Morris: a solo Frankie Pulitzer song with a great beat and that repeated “Frankie” hook running through it, which is dope. I think that’s Frankie Pulitzer on “Scrub,” but I’m not fully sure. Either way, I was hooked immediately and kept wanting to run it back.

I was seeing a lot of hype for this album before I got into it myself, which I don’t love. Initially I wasn’t on the same level as everyone else, but the more the music sank in — especially Frankie Pulitzer and his style — the more it clicked. CZARFACE keeps dropping interesting, unique ideas within hip-hop, and the continued collaborations with Frankie Pulitzer, from the past to now, just work. I’ll keep looking forward to music from both parties, solo and together.

Standout Track: Raw Forever, Mad Technology, Dragon Cannon & Frankie

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑(8.5/10)