Hollywood star Tom Hardy has stepped into the world of rap with a surprise full-length album, releasing 15 tracks under his musical alter ego, Frankie Pulitzer.
According to Variety, Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer brings Hardy together with underground hip-hop group Czarface, made up of 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck. The album was released on 28 August through Czarface’s Silver Age label.
The project features guest appearances by Busta Rhymes, Method Man, El-P and Kendra Morris, while Hardy performs throughout the album as Frankie Pulitzer.
The actor fills the record with references to films, comic books and literature. On Raw Forever, featuring Busta Rhymes, Hardy references Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin from Spider-Man, Marvel villain Doctor Doom, DC Comics character Sergeant Rock and Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon.
Another track, Grim-Visaged War, takes a literary turn as Hardy recites a monologue from William Shakespeare’s Richard III. His delivery recalls the distinctive voice of Bane, the character he played in The Dark Knight Rises.
Stephen King also features among the album’s references. On Mad Technology, Hardy mentions Cujo and Misery. The latter leads to an explicit reference to Kathy Bates, who starred in the film adaptation of King’s Misery.
Hardy’s interest in rap began long before his Hollywood career. As a teenager, he explored hip-hop and recorded an 18-track mixtape titled Falling On Your Arse in 1999, although it never received an official release.
His connection with Czarface also predates the new album. Hardy previously appeared as Frankie Pulitzer on the group’s 2021 EP Good Guys, Bad Guys. One of those collaborations later featured on the soundtrack of Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer marks Hardy’s most substantial musical release so far, combining his long-standing interest in hip-hop with Czarface’s comic-book-inspired style.
The 15-track album includes Brothers Grimm, All It Takes Is One Bad Day, Raw Forever, Grim-Visaged War, Mad Technology, Dragon Canon, Frankie and Intruder…Seems Curious.
