You know Tom Hardy. Not a lot of people don’t. The Oscar nominated actor who has starred in such prestigious films as The Revenant and Bronson. Well you’ll never guess what.
Hardy made a rap mixtape all the way back in 1999, under the alias Tommy No 1. Along with the production skills of Eddie Too Tall, the duo made Falling on Your Arse in 1999.
Hardy raps, reasonably well, over some hip-hop beats riddled with jazz and cinematic samples. It must be said; this mixtape is nothing to be embarrassed about for Hardy. It really is a decent effort and it creates a rough, gargling underground sound, something that is utilised well by the now-actor for his equally grainy lyrics.
Yeah, OK, Dunkirk was great and all, but was it quite as good as spitting some cockney bars over a vibey riddum before the new millennium struck? No, is the unequivocal answer, of course.
And yes, The Revenant was a box office smash, and earned Hardy an Oscar nomination, but does it reach the lofty heights of a 21-year-old rapping on a tune called Dr Livingstoned? I think you know the answer to that (it’s No, just in case you didn’t).
Tom, Mr Hardy, if you’re reading this: why not give it another go? I’d be more than willing to listen, as would the Academy Awards. Dr Livingstoned for Best Original Song 2018.
Article by P J Kimber.
He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.
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