Tom Hardy makes surprise career move after 'MobLand' Season 3 return confirmed
SURREY, ENGLAND: Tom Hardy’s long-awaited rap album has finally arrived, surprising fans as the actor performs under the name Frankie Pulitzer while blending his love of hip-hop with a wide range of pop culture references.
He collaborated with hip-hop collective Czarface on the 15-track album 'Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer', released Friday, August 28. The project features Busta Rhymes, Method Man and EL-P, while drawing on references to Marvel, Martin Scorsese, Stephen King, Titanic and Shakespeare.
Tom Hardy brings Bane voice and pop culture references to his rap album
On the sixth track, 'Grim-Visaged War', Hardy recites the famous 'Richard III' monologue beginning “Now is the winter of our discontent…” in the gravelly voice of Bane, the supervillain he portrayed in 'The Dark Knight Rises.'
His verse on 'Raw Forever', a collaboration with Busta Rhymes, opens with a reference to Martin Scorsese’s 1999 psychological drama 'Bringing Out the Dead' and its star Nicolas Cage. He then name-checks Willem Dafoe, his 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' costar, along with Dafoe’s Green Goblin character, Sidney Lumet’s 'Dog Day Afternoon', and Marvel supervillain 'Doctor Doom.'
On 'Mad Technology', featuring Method Man, Hardy turns to references from King’s literary works, including the killer dog Cujo, alongside a crude jab at Kathy Bates, who starred in the film adaptation of 'Misery'.
'Gnawing at My Rhyme Like a Poisonous Rat' further demonstrates the range of Hardy’s inspirations. The song references Titanic’s famous “draw me like one of your French girls” scene, with Hardy rapping, “You act amused like DiCaprio scratching his pencils to capture your figure.”
The track also references 'The Matrix' and Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots. A closer look at the lyrics appears to hint at shade toward actor-rapper Mark Wahlberg, also known as Marky Mark.
Tom Hardy’s return to 'MobLand' comes after behind-the-scenes rift
Hardy’s album with Czarface has been in development since at least 2021. Three years later, Busta Rhymes was spotted visiting Hardy on the set of 'Venom: The Last Dance', prompting speculation about a musical collaboration.
He had previously cited Busta Rhymes as one of the inspirations for his distinctly gravelly voice for the character. “I mix a little bit of Busta Rhymes, a little bit of Method and Redman, a little bit of James Brown, and ever so slightly an element of Richard Burton,” Hardy told BBC Radio 1.
Meanwhile, the leading trio of 'MobLand' is expected to remain intact for the anticipated third season of Paramount+’s crime series. Hardy is staying on and will continue to star alongside Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan after behind-the-scenes drama threatened his future on the show.
A month earlier, Hardy appeared to be leaving after friction with writer, executive producer, and showrunner Jez Butterworth escalated during Season 2 production. Outreach later opened the door for Hardy to continue, with Mirren also supporting him on social media.
The efforts culminated in a meeting in London between Hardy, Butterworth, and executive producer David Glasser. Sources said the meeting went well and resulted in an understanding about a path forward. Executive producer Guy Ritchie was also reportedly involved in repairing the relationship, leading to Hardy returning full-time.
