Tom Hardy’s 90s Rap Mixtape Is Here. No, Seriously

There are some things in life that only get better with age. And one of those beautifully talented things, is Tom Hardy. From* Layer Cake* to Inception, Peaky Blinders to CBeebies Bedtime Stories, the actor has become quite the source of admiration that we’re actually unashamed to share with our mums.

But this latest revelation is one for the books, you guys. Did you know that our beloved Tom Hardy was something of a musician? Rap was his genre of choice and yes, there was a mixtape.

Or should we say, there is a mixtape. Really. This is not a drill – Thomas Hunky Hardy has a mixtape in which he drops actual beats. It was made in 1999 and, lucky for us, it is floating around the internet right now.

It’s called Falling On Your Arse In 1999 and while the album name sounds more along the lines of a song a British All American Reject might have come out with in the early 2000s, the output is something quite different. And you know what, it ain’t half bad.

The mixtape is a collaboration between Tommy No 1 (that’s Tom’s stage name, you see) and DJ Eddie Too Tall (who kindly uploaded the mixtape to Bandcamp for our listening pleasure) and it samples loads of jazzy vocals and snippets from various film soundtracks and it’s surprisingly vibey. As unexpected musical throwbacks go, despite the muddled lyrics, the odd messy mixes and retrospectively lolz song titles, I whole heartedly recommend having a listen because you just might be (kind of) into it. Maybe.

Treason, the third track with a pleasant violin riff, wouldn’t be out of place in a Save The Last Dance type soundtrack, if you ask me. One of the reasons that our new favourite 18 track offering that Tom described as unfinished and having been ‘made in a bedroom’ isn’t awful, probably has something to do with the fact that he had a record deal for a time and worked with some of the best people in the business.

‘I used to be with the guy ho managed Leela James and Lauryn Hill, Pras, the Fugees and all that’, Tom told BBC Newsbeat. ‘I worked out with (Grammy-winning producers) Warren Riker and Gordon Williams. I’ve recorded loads of stuff but it’s never been released’. Until now, my dear Tom.

READ MORE: 25 TV Shows You'll Remember If You Were A True 90s Kid

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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.