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.
