This episode of Gems with Shom features 7L, one-third of Czarface. 7L is the DJ and producer behind Czarface, the cult-favorite hip-hop supergroup formed by 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck. Known for sample-based production, comic-book world-building, and a fiercely independent creative path, 7L has helped build one of the most original and enduring underground rap universes in hip-hop. In this conversation, 7L and Shom go deep on records, radio, early DJing, obscure samples, underground touring, collaboration, and the long road from Massachusetts mixtapes to Red Rocks and beyond. We discuss:• Growing up in Massachusetts and discovering hip-hop through MTV, tapes, and roller rink DJs• Learning to DJ, making mixtapes, and building an early production process from scratch• The early 7L & Esoteric years, college radio, indie vinyl, and underground rap in the 90s• Digging culture, rare records, trial and error, and the records that shaped his ear• How Czarface came together with Inspectah Deck• Building a cult following through music, comics, collectibles, and world-building• Collaborating with MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Kool Keith, and more• Why staying weird helped sustain a long career• Why authenticity, curiosity, and consistency still matter in underground music 7L is a Massachusetts-raised DJ and producer whose career stretches from the independent underground rap scene of the 1990s to major collaborative projects in the modern era. Before Czarface, he built his name through 7L & Esoteric, DIY vinyl releases, college radio, and relentless digging and touring. As one-third of Czarface, he helped shape a group that became far more than a rap act. It became a full creative universe rooted in hip-hop, comics, artifacts, and cult loyalty. The group’s major collaborative releases include Czarface Meets Metal Face with MF DOOM in 2018, Czarface Meets Ghostface with Ghostface Killah in 2019, and Super What? with MF DOOM in 2021.
