Inspectah Deck/7L & Esoteric Czarface

One of Wu-Tang Clan's greatest emcees, Inspectah Deck is universally beloved by fans, but he's always had bad luck with his solo albums. 7L & Esoteric helped put Boston on the indie-rap map back in the '90s, and they've been steadily releasing quality (if under-the-radar) material ever since. They hooked up in 1999 for the exceptional Speaking Real Words EP and reunite here for a 14-track concept album tied together by old-school comic record samples (think MF DOOM's Operation: Doomsday and Ghostface's Iron Man). As usual, the Rebel INS more than delivers on the mic: he rocks wordy, witty verses that perfectly complement Eso's. 7L consistently impresses with outstanding production that overflows with head-banging drums, freaky samples, and new takes on several classic golden-era loops. Guests include Ghostface, Roc Marciano, Oh No, Action Bronson, Cappadonna, Mr. MFN Exquire, and Vinnie Paz. "Savagely Attack," "It's Raw," and "Poisonous Thoughts" are standouts.