Tom Hardy gets X-rated on surprise Czarface rap album
Tom Hardy gets X-rated on his surprise new rap album, "Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer," with an explicit Kathy Bates line, bars about Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, and a Bane-style Shakespeare monologue—showing the Venom and Dark Knight Rises star is as unpredictable behind the mic as he is on screen. Hardy records under the alias Frankie Pulitzer and teamed with underground rap supergroup Czarface, made up of 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck.
Key Takeaways
- Hardy released "Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer," a collaborative album with the Czarface rap supergroup.
- Tracks pack film and comic book references, including Green Goblin, Doctor Doom, Bane, and Venom lore.
- One verse includes an explicit Kathy Bates lyric tied to Stephen King's "Misery."
- Hardy closes "Grim-Visaged War" by reciting Shakespeare's "Richard III" monologue in a voice reminiscent of Bane.
- He has rapped before as Frankie Pulitzer and once recorded an unreleased 1999 album as Tommy No 1.
What's on Tom Hardy's new Czarface album?
Hardy is best known for rough-and-tumble screen roles, and he brings that same energy to the mic on his latest project. The actor, who records as Frankie Pulitzer, just dropped "Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer" with Czarface—a trio built from duo 7L & Esoteric and Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan.
For fans of his Hollywood work, the record is packed with pop-culture callbacks. Hardy is no stranger to comic lore: he played Bane in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" and portrayed Venom across three standalone films plus a cameo in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Those credentials show up throughout the verses.
Why does Tom Hardy reference Kathy Bates and comic book villains?
On "Raw Forever," Hardy loads his verse with nods to Martin Scorsese's "Bringing Out the Dead," Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin from 2002's "Spider-Man," Marvel villain Doctor Doom, DC hero Sergeant Rock, and Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon." Sample lines include "I be somewhat of a scientist like Willem Dafoe" and "Goblin up crumbs."
The wildest moment arrives on "Mad Technology," where Hardy namechecks Stephen King adaptations "Cujo" and "Misery" before delivering the album's most headline-grabbing bar: "I'd rather masturbate to Kathy Bates than hear you flow." He also shouts out Thor and Shameik Moore, who voices Miles Morales in the "Spider-Verse" films and starred in "Dope."
Does Tom Hardy use his Bane voice on the album?
At the end of "Grim-Visaged War," Hardy recites Shakespeare's famous "Richard III" monologue in a delivery that Variety notes sounds very reminiscent of his Bane performance. Elsewhere, "Gnawing at My Rhyme Like a Poisonous Rat" includes a "Titanic" reference aimed at Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson.
Hardy has not spoken publicly about his Frankie Pulitzer work, but he is no stranger to rapping. He has appeared on other Czarface albums and released loose collaborative singles. He also recorded "Falling on Your Arse in 1999" at the turn of the millennium under the moniker Tommy No 1 with producer Edward Tracy (Eddie Too Tall); that record was never properly released but surfaced online in 2018.
Where does this fit among celebrity crossover albums?
Actor-turned-rapper projects rarely land with this much comic-book density or theatrical flair. Hardy's blend of explicit humor, villain references, and Shakespeare recitation makes "Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer" one of the stranger Hollywood-meets-hip-hop drops in recent memory. For more on unexpected star projects, browse our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
Full lyrics and track breakdowns are available via Variety's report on the release.