When you think of actors who rap, you probably only think about Will Smith. It’s natural when you have a song as iconic as “Summertime” or “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It“. Maybe you even think about Mark Wahlberg’s brief brush with rap stardom or Timothée Chalamet’s viral moment with UK rapper EsDeeKid. But would you think of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises? Does Venom come to mind? Very rarely would anyone think of Tom Hardy and his connection to hip-hop.
But after showing off his lyrical acumen with some of the best rappers the 90s had to offer, it might be unavoidable now. Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and duo 7L & Esoteric come back together for another album as Czarface. This time though, they include Tom Hardy in the mix under his alias Frankie Pulitzer.
On Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer, the London-bred actor went bar for bar with Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and El-P. A lot of his lyricism is founded on the rich film resume he’s built and the history he’s digested over the years. For instance, on “Raw Forever”, he stitched together a vast array of film and comic book references to match the energy of Czarface’s vivid imagery.
Tom Hardy Might Be the Next Best Underground Rapper
“I’m Bringing Out the Dead like a paramedic out the Cage, directed by Marty
Frank Pierce the gang’s here welcome to the party
I be somewhat of a scientist like Willem Dafoe
If you know then you know
Goblin up crumbs
Hit ’em with the fly kill ’em with the low
Profile, no smile, exile the old style
So vile, exhale the smoke cloud, blow trial
Dog Day Afternoon
When I talk Sgt. Rock on the block with the Glock aftershock from the boom
Rip you out your costume
Stuff you in the smallest locker, lock you in the locker room
Doctor Doom how I’m the Victor the Scripture.”
Tom Hardy hasn’t spoken publicly about his alternate persona as a rapper. However, this isn’t exactly his first time rapping. He has quietly featured on Czarface records in the past, engaging in a bit of lyrical exercise in between his days on film sets.
Additionally, Tom Hardy recorded an album titled Falling on Your Arse in 1999 before entering the 21st century. But instead of going by Frankie Pulitzer, he went by Tommy No 1. His friend Edward Tracy, or Eddie Too Tall, handled production. The album never had a formal release—fans only ever learned about the record because it leaked in 2018.
(Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for BGC Group)
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