Everyone dreams of being a rock star—even Tom Hardy.
The 40-year-old actor best known for his roles in Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Mad Max: Fury Road has now made headlines for his rap “career” in the ‘90s because his mixtape has been unearthed on the internet.
The mixtape was appropriately recorded in Hardy’s music producer’s bedroom—using nothing but a handheld tape dictaphone and an AKAI sampler to collect samples from records and VHS tapes of movies. It was called Falling On Your Arse in 1999. The then-20-year-old Hardy wrote and performed all the lyrics for the 18-track compilation under the moniker Tommy No 1.
The result is a mixtape that now sounds like a nostalgic throwback to the ‘90s. Hardy even raps over the Godfather theme song in “Wiser.”
Hardy’s rap aspirations haven’t been a secret. Back in 2011, he told BBC that he had a recording deal as a rapper with someone who managed the Fugees when he was a teenager but he turned to acting because he wasn’t “very good at rapping.”
Some Hardy fans agree it’s a blessing that he went the acting route because they think the mixtape’s horrible.
https://twitter.com/THEMOVIEGUVNOR/status/954343615572176896
https://twitter.com/DnyLdn/status/954341831457824769
https://twitter.com/cheeseamberger/status/954336257718587393
Other fans, however, love it.
Don't try talk to me for the next few days I'm just gonna listen to Tom Hardy's mixtape x
— Avenhue (@_Avenhue) January 19, 2018
Tom Hardy's mixtape is kinda fire actually 🔥🔥
— Thibault la Droitte (@th_23) January 19, 2018
Ok… so the beats on this Tom Hardy mixtape GOES pic.twitter.com/ZwlqIznjqG
— Leiomy’s Patellas (@AngellJaunnae) January 19, 2018
LMFAO TOM HARDY 1999 UNREALEASED RAP ALBUM THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED
— Jimmy Eats Brains (@mcgangster420) January 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/Chris_SattaDJ/status/954284657977241601
Perhaps Hardy should add hip-hop artist to his resume, after all. Listen to the whole thing below: