Crossovers are nothing new. From Frank, Elvis, and Babs, to Ariana, Beyoncé, and Bowie, making the jump from the screen to the mic and vice versa is territory well covered. But the latest star to mosey over into another realm of the entertainment industry is making a lot of noise.
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Tom Hardy, easily one of the most greatest and most celebrated actors of the 21st century, just announced that he’s resurrecting his hip-hop persona, Frankie Pulitzer, for a rap album in collaboration with Czarface that will feature Busta Rhymes and Method Man. Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer is slated for Aug. 28.
The news was accompanied by the first single from the record, “Brothers Grimm.” Described by Stereogum as a “fun little head-knocker,” the track is actually one of several collaborations between Hardy, 48, and the underground supergroup consisting of InspectahDeck (Wu-Tang Clan), 7L, and Esoteric. Hardy also rapped on the group’s 2021 EP, Good Guys, Bad Guys, which was featured heavily in Hardy’s Marvel Comics film Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Before Hardy lit up Hollywood, he dabbled in modeling, music, and more. According to Stereogum, he first rapped under the moniker Tommy No. 1, with a mixtape leaking several years ago. Later, he became involved with Czarface. As Frankie Pulitzer/FacePuller, he recorded a selection of tracks. Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer will be their first full-length project together.
In other headlines, Hardy’s future on the hit Paramount series MobLand has been in question lately, with some reports claiming the actor was fired from the production and others reporting that negotiations led to the misunderstanding. Despite dueling reports, cast members have come to his defense, with Helen Mirren showing her support publicly on social media.
Making his feature debut in Black Hawk Down (2001), Hardy then added Layer Cake, Marie Antoinette, and RocknRolla to his resume, which was then boosted by iconic roles in films including Bronson, Inception, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises, Locke, and Mad Max: Fury Road. Thanks to extreme dedication to a role and chameleon-like intensity, Hardy has become notorious for elevating every film he’s in.
“There is no other movie star quite like Tom Hardy, who embraces masculinity just as vehemently as he rejects it,” The Independent wrote, explaining why they chose the English actor as one of the best of our time. “His accents are pure witchcraft, sourced from unexpected places, and he finds ways to upend and weaponise his physique in ways few others would dare. … Hardy can do it all – but he will do it in his own way.”
It’s only a matter of weeks before fans will get to see what he can do with a 15-track album.
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