Tom Hanks' Son Chet Goes By A Different Name For His Music Career

Chet Hanks, the son of popular actor Tom Hanks, decided to switch up his name when he embarked on a promising new career as a hip-hop artist. According to Us Weekly, Chet began his rapping journey while still a sophomore student at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Majoring in theater, the artist came out with the track "White and Purple" in 2011, a viral reimagining of Wiz Khalifa's hit single "Black and Yellow" about his college life at Northwestern. Then, in 2016, he joined forces with fellow musician Drew Arthur to form the musical duo FTRZ. The two — who later rebranded as the band Something Out West — have released tracks like "Nowhereland" and "Models." In a past interview with Vice, Chet discussed what made him decide to pursue a career in rap.

"It was out of my love and passion for hip-hop, it just happened. It wasn't a conscious decision. There wasn't like, a moment with me where I was like, this is what I wanna do," he explained. "So, it is what I do ya know? I make music." He also talked about what it's like being the son of Tom Hanks and singer Rita Wilson. The "Empire" actor — who performs under the name Chet Haze — said, "I'm aware of the fact that the reason my rapping has been publicized so much is because of that fact. So, I'm appreciative of the publicity that I get because of it." Chet has additionally spoken about his decision to adopt a stage name for his musical pursuits.

Per People, Chet Hanks' given name is actually Chester Marlon Hanks. The rapper and actor-son of Tom Hanks shared the story behind his stage name in an interview with Huffpost in 2011. "I took the name back as a kid. When people didn't know who I was in terms of who my dad was, I wouldn't tell them," Chet said. He added that he would introduce himself as Chet Haze as it sounds almost like Hanks. "When I started [my music career], that's what came to mind. Like, what is the name I go by when I'm just doin' me? You know what I'm saying?" he said.

Despite switching up his name for his music career, Chet stressed that he is "the same person anywhere I go." He continued, "Whether I walk up to someone and they have no idea who I am, or I walk up to someone and they already know who I am, so they already have judgments about me — I'm always the same person." Talking about his music, Chet described his genre as a fusion of pop and rap. He also named some of his musical influences — Frank Sinatra, Beethoven, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd. Speaking with College Magazine, Chet said that he wished to explore other types of music aside from hip-hop. "I want to be versatile and I want to make more complex songs that are also really appealing and just make people feel good," he explained.

Since making his debut, Chet Hanks has changed his official stage name from Chet Haze to simply Chet Hanx. Complex reported his name change in 2021, when the "White Boy Summer" artist signed to Soulja Boy's music label SODMG Records. Soulja Boy — whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way — shared the news on Instagram along with a video of himself with Tom Hanks' son. "It's going down man," he said in the clip. "Chet Hanks man, my new artist, signed to SODMG Records as the first rapper signed this year." Chet also made the announcement in a since-deleted post on his account, writing, "JUST SIGNED TO #SODMG. JUST WAIT TO SEE WHAT WE DO NEXT @souljaboy @sodmgrecordsllc U DIGG."

Chet, in an interview with Celebritology in 2011, shared that his famous father has been supportive of his music career since day one. "You know, he keeps an open mind," he said of the "Saving Private Ryan" star (via Yahoo! Entertainment). "I've spent a lot of time trying to show him a lot of the music that inspires me. And he does keep an open mind." He credited Tom and his mother Rita Wilson for supporting his ambitions of being a rap star, saying, "They do know about it and they share my excitement. And they're also very supportive, which is something I appreciate." Chet has continued to make his own music and perform as an actor, recently releasing songs for the Fox musical series "Empire" and appearing on FX's comedy drama "Atlanta."