A few years prior, Tom Hardy’s failed rap career was thrust into the spotlight after his banging mixtape from 1999 resurfaced (see: above); uploaded to Bandcamp by former producer and creative partner DJ Eddie Too Tall at the behest of the man himself. But we thought today was as good a time as any to remind the world that Tom Hardy – Hollywood actor, occasional kid’s show presenter, and competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner – used to be a pretty decent rapper.
Yes, long before he was a star of screen and stage, Hardy’s original ambition was to become a grime artist. Operating under the pseudonym Tommy No 1 – to this day we’re still not sure if that’s meant to be “no one” or “number one” – he was good enough to land a record deal.
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“I started out rapping when I was 14 or 15,” Tom Hardy revealed in a past interview.
“I used to be with the guy who managed Leela James and Lauren Hill, Pras, The Fugees, and all that.”
“I worked out with [Grammy award-winning producers] Warren Riker and Gordon Williams. I’ve recorded loads of stuff but it’s never been released.”
So where and why did it all fall apart for Tom Hardy the rapper?
“Because I come from a nice middle-class neighbourhood it was a very hard sell. And I wasn’t very good!”
In 2018, Tom Hardy was reportedly taking another stab at being a rapper by recording a brand new grime album. Since then, however, we haven’t heard a single peep about any such project coming to fruition. Although we know for certain there’s a vault full of Tommy No 1 tracks lurking somewhere.
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“I’ve got albums, man. My best friend Peanut, he grew up in the south Bronx. He’s a very good MC and we still play,” said Hardy.
“It’ll come out in a film one day, it’ll come out in a character somewhere.”
“We always said we’d do a Vegas tour as a joke,” said DJ Eddie Too Tall (real name: Ed Tracy), who actually has a BAFTA award to his name for the comedy series Fonejacker.
“Maybe if this album generates enough love then we can coax Tom onstage.”
At least we’ll always have Falling On Your Arse (1999) – check it out above.
Falling On Your Arse (1999) description:
“Made in a bedroom 1999 these mixtapes were never really finished. Lyrics written and performed by Tom Hardy. Music written and produced by Ed Tracy.”
