The Complex 7: Thee Tom Hardy & 9th Wonder

Thee Tom Hardy (left) and 9th Wonder.

Rap history is filled with many interesting “put me on” breakthrough stories, but if there’s a common lesson, it’s this: Seize your opportunity. Case in point—Durham, N.C. native Thomas Hardison was attending a local community college when he found out that producer 9th Wonder was teaching a hip-hop class at nearby North Carolina Central University. Tom promptly ditched his remedial math class and snuck into one of 9th’s classes as an unregistered student. Tom would attend a few of 9th’s academic sessions, each time spitting rhymes for him—and eventually, persistence (and a dope flow) overcame resistance, and 9th signed the newly christened Thee Tom Hardy.

9th has his hands full with his labels Jamla and The Academy, which just released The Hardy Boy Mystery Mixtape: Curse of the Green Faceded, Tom Hardy’s debut. We chatted with the 20-year-old new artist and his mentor for the latest edition of The Complex 7, in which Tom and 9th discuss bad breakups, dissing Asher Roth, and the possibility of a Little Brother reunion album. Also see below for a download link to the tape and Tom’s video debut…

Interview by Ralph Warner

 #1: WHAT’S THE NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND?

9th Wonder says: Girlfriend? I haven’t had one of those in years, I’m married so you can’t ask me that. [Laughs.] Trying to get me in trouble. When I was in high school or college it was a woman that smokes.

Tom Hardy says: Bad hygiene, I just can’t deal with bad personal hygiene.

 #2: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER OF ALL TIME?

9th Wonder says: Jordan, the Jordan V are my favorites.

Tom Hardy says: I’d have to say the all-white Air Max.

 #3: WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

9th Wonder says: When Michael Jackson died.

Tom Hardy says: The last time I cried…

9th Wonder says: Shit, last week. [Laughs.]

Tom Hardy says: …I cried when I was listening to my mixtape all the way through.

 #4: IF YOU HAD A WEEK HOLIDAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

9th Wonder says: Sleep and eat. [Laughs.]

Tom Hardy says: Lay around all day and watch the shows I’ve DVRed that I haven’t got a chance to watch yet. That and just hang around with my girl.

 #5: WHAT HAS GOT TO BE IN YOUR FRIDGE AT ALL TIMES?

9th Wonder says: Some type of gourmet juice, I’m talking about Minute Maid, Tropicana—the $3 a carton juice.

Tom Hardy says: Green Kool-Aid.

 #6: WHAT’S THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

9th Wonder says: A girl broke up with me after I traveled to see her in my car and the way I got there was I pawned my keyboard.

Complex says: Wow, she broke up with you when you came to visit?

9th Wonder says: Yeah, I promised I’d go see her and pawned my keyboard to get the money for it. I went to see her and maybe three days later she broke up with me.

Tom Hardy says: In middle school I broke up with my girlfriend through a poem. I wrote her a poem and said it out loud to her.

9th Wonder says: What?!

Tom Hardy says: [Laughs.] Yeah, it was crazy, it was in sixth grade.

 #7: WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU’VE EVER WORN?

9th Wonder says: JAMS shorts bruh, you know what Jam shorts are? JAMS shorts were these shorts kids use to wear in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. These shorts had like flowers, tropical plants, and stuff all over them. You’ve seen them in videos. Those were the worst!

Tom Hardy says: [Sighs.] That’s a long list. Middle school again, I had some zip-up Dadas.

9th Wonder says: Ugh!

Tom Hardy says: Yeah, they were navy blue and white. They were ugly.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Complex: Tom, on the track “As We Shine” you take a direct shot at Asher Roth with the “I’m a sicker spitter, than any Roth Asher” line. What was behind that?

Tom Hardy: It wasn’t really meant as a dis to him but the day I had written it I was just talking about Asher Roth with some people and they were saying you’re probably going to be compared to him because you’re coming out after him. I was just like, Damn, I don’t want to be compared to him just because he’s white. If we sounded similar I would want to be compared to him but I guess I put that on myself by mentioning his name. [Laughs.]. He’s obviously created a movement for himself and his music, he has got himself out there. For that I commend him. I haven’t really listened to that much of his music outside of his singles. I didn’t even know that song was going to come out, I wasn’t even thinking that far into the future.

Complex: How does it feel to work with 9th, who’s such a respected producer in the game?

Tom Hardy: It’s definitely an honor. Every since The Listening came out—I bought the first Little Brother CD when it first came I out, I was 14. It was the first time I’d been exposed to those types of beats before. It was an eye-opening experience, it was the first time I had heard those type of beats. Fast-forward five years later, and to have a whole mixtape with 9th and to be chosen to be a part of his label is very gratifying. It’s great to be associated with somebody who’s so universally respected.

Complex: 9th, who have you been working with as of late besides your artists on Jamla and the Academy?

9th Wonder: Murs and I are doing another album called Fornever, that will be our fourth album. There’s the next Buckshot and 9th Wonder album. David Banner and I are also working on an album, D.O.P.S, which stands for Death of a Pop Star. That’s going to be an album/comic book.

Complex: There have been rumors of a new Little Brother album. Is that true?

9th Wonder: Nope. [Laughs.] All I can say is I wish both of them well. Phonte is doing excellent with the Foreign Exchange, Big Pooh is doing excellent with his solo endeavors, and I’m doing my thing. We continue to keep up and put out good music so that’s all that matters.

Download The Hardy Boy Mystery Mixtape: Curse of Thee Green Faceded HERE!

VIDEO: “As We Shine,” 9th Wonder Presents Tom Hardy feat. Rapsody & D-Mal The World Famous

• CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE “COMPLEX 7″ INTERVIEWS