Tank is one hard working man. Just a year after releasing his Stronger album, the DMV native is gearing up to drop his new album Sex, Love & Pain 2 in December. The album serves as the sequel to Tank’s critically-acclaimed 2007 LP Sex, Love & Pain, which included his breakthrough single “Please Don’t Go.”
That’s not all, though. In between preparing for his new project, Tank is also getting ready to work on season two of TV One’s hit show Born Again Virgin. After earning impressive ratings throughout the first season, it was quickly renewed for a follow-up.
In a candid interview with Rated R&B, Tank talks about Born Again Virgin’s success, Sex, Love & Pain 2, his new record label and why his first three albums aren’t available on iTunes.
RATED R&B: Congrats on Born Again Virgin for getting renewed for a second season. How does it feel?
TANK: I love it! I think it’s a testimony to the fact that we have something good and something that people want to see. I’m excited. We had our highest rating show last week. The audience is growing. We’ll be back with a second season to give them more. The second season is pretty hysterical.
RATED R&B: Your new single “You Don’t Know” is out now and we love it! Tell us more about the record and what made you choose to enlist Wale?
TANK: Well, Eric Bellinger brought me a few records – I always call him when I’m making a new album. I said “Ooh, wee! That is something right there.” So, I recorded it and as I’m recording it I’m thinking somehow we’ve got to collab with somebody and make this a cool event. For me, the only person that made sense in terms of just how much nostalgic value the record has and how its speaking to the ladies. Wale was just an easy choice for that. It’s an opportunity for two hometown heroes – us being from the DMV – to finally connect and bring together something real cool.
RATED R&B: We hear you have a new record with Chris Brown on the album.
TANK: Me and CB always do something cool. I think this collaboration is probably our best one yet. It’s called “Birthday” and I have Siyah on the record, as well as Problem. It was just one of those things where it was like we started singing this birthday hook and it was kinda like, “This would be kind of cool – a birthday song. There hasn’t been a birthday song in a while – an R&B one and a cool one — let’s just roll with it.” We wrote the verse and I said “You know what, CB will kill the hook.” So I go over to the studio, play it for him and he was like “I love it! I need to sing the second verse too” [laughs]. We worked it out. We mixed it. We have Problem rapping. We Have Siyah rapping. It’s going to be our single to the DJ’s and to all the mix shows and all that stuff. It’s going to be out at the top of next month.
RATED R&B: Sex, Love & Pain 2 is the sequel to your 2007. Why do you believe a sequel was needed?
TANK: I feel like it was two people that did it. Of course, the fans they were screaming for it — “Aye! You need to do another Sex Love & Pain.” A lot of people feel like that was my best album. It was the first album that got me nominated for a Grammy. It was a great work. I think I needed to get back to that space of Sex Love & Pain because of the process of how we made that album. We just wanted to make some cool music. There was no pressure on us. There was no deadline. There was nothing. We made music on the edge of that line – that R&B line. We pushed the limits of R&B at that moment. This is that album. I wanted to get back to that energy, get back to that edge of R&B and getting back to pushing that line. I feel like it’s time.
RATED R&B: Did you work with the same producers on this album?
TANK: No. I kind of switched it up. I produced a lot of that album. I [also] worked with Brandon Hines out of Atlanta. He really set the tone of the album. He just brought me music that I felt like was the 2016 version of R&B music. Once he gave me those tracks, I knew where I wanted to go from there. I built around that. So we got him, I did about three or four songs and two more producers on there and that’s it. Most of the album is just me and [Brandon]. We locked in and found some magic.
RATED R&B: With all the success you had with SLP, do you feel pressured to outdo it this time around?
TANK: No, no pressure at all. Like I said when I made that album, I was just having fun. I’m just having fun making this album too. Hopefully, the people will respond to it. But for me, I’m just having a good time doing music. This is the music I want to sing. This is the music that I want to put out there. This is the energy I’m trying to get out there and let people know there’s Tank. Hopefully, they’ll receive it. I think they’ll feel good about it.
RATED R&B: We hear you launched a label called RnB Money. Is this true?
TANK: Yes, that’s the name of my label. My album will be the first offering off of that label.
RATED R&B: So, we noticed SLP isn’t on iTunes or any other digital retailer. What happened?
TANK: You would have to call Blackground Records and ask them why they don’t want to release any of my first three albums and why they don’t want to make any money and why they won’t let me make any money. That’s a conversation for them. They own the first three albums so it’s not really a lot I can do about that. That’s on them. They’ve got some good music that’s just sitting there collecting dust, which could be making a lot of money for them as well as myself. I got to keep moving on. There’s nothing I can do about that. Hence, we have SLP2. I’m able to continue to create the content and live on.
RATED R&B: Is there anything else you have coming up?
TANK: Yes, we’re going to start a promo tour in the middle of next month. We’re going to go everywhere we can go. We’re going to get back out there and run for president. That’s what that campaign looks like. We’re going city to city. We’re going to do listening parties, hosting, shows, radio, in-stores, everything. We’re going to take it back to the old school and hit these streets and really grind it out.
Make sure you follow Tank on Twitter/Instagram at @TheRealTank. Also, buy his new single “You Don’t Know” featuring Wale on iTunes.