Tank

last album. That's what this is gonna be about. And to have this special R and B Money episode, I have two special people here with me in the building. Let me take a drink. Well to special people in the house. UM, I like to call my friend this woman, I just call her a business one. That is it. If it is business, she can handle it, she can do it. Please, uh give some spinker snaps money podcast world to my family. Ms y'all, I would like to Curtsey and then, UM, I mean, first of all, let

me let me get to it. Okay. First of all, okay, a person, a woman who knew me when I'm talking about, danced in my first video. I mean we called eyes. She saw a player. She said, I see that. I'll say that. I'll say that eye contact was mutual. Um, we have been we have been friends for a long time. We have been best friends. Um, we are soul mates. And she is a businessman, but more importantly the mother of my kids and my wife. Last year, looking champagne.

We gotta start, no, woman's get the start up right. This is special. Ladies love champagne. Okay, everybody watching Normy Money podcast, Ladies love champagne. You know they also dabbled in tequila, you know, but if they start dabbling in that, then that tequila. I just let you know how that night is gonna go. Protect yourself at all times. How y'all doing, how y'all feel to be? I'm ready, You're ready. Ready. I feel like in my hot seat because I'm almost here.

I'll something. I feel like Becausina said, we're drinking champagne here, So I mean, what a freaking honor. First of all, can I say how inspirational you guys are. I know that word is like throwing around, you know, people use it. It sounds cute and whatever, but it's the truth. Man. You know, I like to I've been a friend of you guys, UM for a long part of you your journey and I'm just happy to be here with you guys as husband, as wife, a beautiful family, incredible friends

to a lot of people, good people. You know, aside from what the world sees on like Instagram or you on stage or anything like that. You guys are good hearted people and you're good people to a lot of people. So I just want to say cheers to that, Cheers to family, Cheers to keeping that thing strong man. Love y'all me like links click, I won't know, Okay. Um, I'm not leading this, so I'm going to turn it over to the ladies and I'm gonna sit in this

hot seat and hot do you want to see? It's about my music something years very focus, Okay, I Today's Flower Days as you eloquently purchased for me on the on the on the release of Army. Yeah, awesome for that. You know, we're all about the details over here. Yeah, that was a great cover. Why did that cover? What? What? What was in that for that cover? What did that feel like for you? Um? Great question. Shout out to my brother Rich Fresh who who completely just doctored up

that entire look. Um. Shout out to um, my brother Iron Javar, who always looked too for the co sign when it comes to my styling choices and of course the things he brings you know to the table. Um I wanted. I wanted R and B money. Of course, as me naming the label R and B money, it means that R and B makes money. Um, I'm a prime example of R and B making money. And so for the album to be called R and B Money, I wanted to look absolutely like money. So I wanted

to look refined. I wanted to look tailored. I wanted to look presentable, um, just on a level I probably hadn't been um seen before in a long time. You know, normally, as you know, normally, as tis the deal. He always has the feel and I'm a big yeller for that. I'm always for his You're I'm always asking him. I'm like, when are you going to a feeling like it going to stop? And I'm like, I'm like whenever when I can't. A lot of people can't. Okay, I don't talk about

what you get to touch on. Um, I just think that, you know, that's an aesthetic of R and B that I want, you know, R and B artists to not be afraid of, you know, what I'm saying, because I think we've all kind of taken the dope boy fresh rap, you know what I'm saying. We've all now, um, dabbled into the jewelry and and and extra. You know, we've dabbled into the I think I think the BB Simon belt is back, and you know what I'm saying. And everybody's got the same gene and the same you know,

we've all dabbled into that space. But I think that there's, um, there's a space where R and B. It's also very buttoned up. You know what I'm saying. It's very classy and it's very elegant, you know what I mean. And that's the that's the R and B that I grew upon, you know what I'm saying. Joe to see was you know, a break of the monotony, you know, a necessary change to add balance to it all. But Boys two Men was buttoned up, Maxwell buttoned up. I'm saying, a baby

face buttoned up. It sounds like it, it looked like it, it felt like it. It landed and and I think with the even with the album, I wanted to completely land in an R and B space. I wanted to listen to my album and without a doubt know that we're somewhere in between the nineties and the early two thousand's, like that's where this album lives. And for the first ten songs, you know, my my my take on R and B is it's always a conversation with a woman

or about a woman. And so my first ten songs on my album, whatever you need to say about that woman to that woman, this is your opportunity to say in these first ten songs. Let me ask you this. What's one of the most important things you had to say to Zina? Mhm, I pict your face be it's about a conversation, what a wantan oh, you know what? You know what? Tell her where your inspiration? This is great? Or YouTube? Um, the most important thing I had to say to Zena and don't made me cry because I

did my makeup today. Okay, it wasn't one thing, sure, it was a whole thing. Um, the truth and then go ahead, that's good. The truth. Yeah, And so from the truth you get a song like can't let it show you know what I mean? Where you know the truth? At this point, it's probably a little too late. The truth. After the truth at this point, the truth at this point, not today, I'm saying in the conversation, at this point,

it's probably too late. And so this same truth that probably would have made her cry a year ago now makes her look at me and disgusted and say, I don't even have I don't I can't even cry for you like you so stupid, You're so out of control, You're so stupid. I can't even cry. And it makes me say, oh my god, you just finished my song. I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.

I should be crying, but I can't stop thinking all the things you should have done, but all the things you should have said when a woman is out of that. But back to your question, that was the hardest thing I've ever had to tell z is It's not one It's not one thing. It's a whole Thing's the whole thing. And so, you know, as much of as much as I live it out of my music, I had to live it in real life and and endure the ramifications,

you know, the repercussions that come along with it. And unfortunately, fortunately that's also sacrificial because then comes music with that too, that that that is scary right, that is scary because it is a constant reminder, sacrificial. And so I gotta, you know, while this song is on, while I'm performing, i gotta check on my life. And I'm like, we're good. It sounds good, We're still good. We're gonna be all right after that, just thought about sick of it. I'm

sick of it half. I mean, just come on, I'm done with all of this. But you can get your inspiration for songs from real life experiences. Sure, yeah, so this is your last album? Yes, So that means we're good now. It's so good. You don't have to you don't have to live that way sailing at this point on. I just want to know so clear. I think that you know, from an album process, I'm done making albums for myself for sure. Um, but you know I'm acting now,

doing more acting. That's where I'm at, um, doing my stand up and producing and writing more for other artists, building the label. Um. So from a time standpoint, you know, I'm not done. Like I like to say that, you know, I'm still in the building. I'm just on a different floor. Would you say that's what you say to your fans? Like as a fan right sitting here like in the mini hats that I'm blessed to wear um with friends in your spaces, but as a fan that I see

here and here that it's kind of nerve. It's it's hitting a nerve. It's not like, oh I'm so happy. He's probably I'm probably the only person. Yeah, she's that. We're good. But you know you you and you're not about to pull a radio Okay now say okay, sorry, we might because you know I'm all things. This is crazy. Um, um, we're at we're at um. The Usher show sure, absolutely amazing. Yeah.

By the way, if you haven't been to Usher's residency, if you are a true R and B fing mm hmm, you make the voyage how other religious people make make their voyage to Mecca. You make the voyage to Vegas to see Usher and see R and B music on. I held up a stage continue at the Usher show, and I need to Baker's. Did Tevin Campbell's there? Shout out to Campbell? Shout out to Tevin Campbell. Amazing night. I need a Baker's. And and Anita sees me um and and she says, oh my god, come here, come here,

and she says, we can't lose. You don't do that to me, I thought I had some sense to share and I was like, I was hold up, mhm, No, that's a that's that because that's what I'm that's I got to tech you on, Jackie want just because that's just that hit me so differently in anything, because first of all, that's the need of Baker Um, the R and B that I was allowed to listen to that I grew up on. There were there were three albums sitting on my father's record player. There was New Addition,

God and Anita Baker Wow. And that's what I would listen to every day I came home from school every day. And so you know, I met the need, had the pleasure of meeting her a few times. But her saying that to me and in my mind, me not even knowing that me retire would even reach Yeah, the depths of and Anita Baker who is living in her her own universe by herself stand alone, right, And when she said that, like, I didn't know what to say. You know, I have I have words for any type of any situation.

I mean, I can you know, talk and articulate my feelings at any moment in any time, and I did, I had no I didn't know what to say, and I honestly, I don't even think she realized that it was so much commotion going on and so many people thronging her and wanting to be in her space. I literally that kind of just back and got out of there because it just hit me. It just hit me in such a grazy place, and so um, you know, that conversation was was was, I don't I don't know

what that's gonna do to moving forward, right um. And then even for that, I have a conversation with DJ Drama and I'm just you know, I'm quizzing DJ Drama about, you know, the success of his label and how he's been able to do it for so long and building artists and all these things, you know, because I really want to break artists and DJ Drama that that's what he does. And he was like, yeah, but this retiring thing, yeah,

that's not that's that's that's not it. And he was like, he was like, you have to maintain the platform because that platform is everything in terms of you helping your artists or the next generation of artists, Like that platform

has to be maintained. We can't lose that platform. And I was like, you know, I heard him at the time, and I'm I'm still just push him in retirement and still, and then Anita comes behind and says, we can't lose you, and I'm like Jesus Christ, yeah, because for me, it's like no, I know that's how everything, but not everybody would take it that way for every artist. Some artists can say you be like, Okay, God, bless good night,

thanks for letting us know. But for you, I think it's important that that is understood, that that place, that throne, that's that you've built and created, that's for you. It's like I would love to sit here and be like or so about their ensinment as friends, you know, but I can't say that your fans are happy to hear that. That doesn't feel good because you have to think about what R and B feels like to you. There's no other music. I love all genres. I'm a child of

a musician. I love I love every piece of every genre of music. But there's no music that makes us feel like R and B. It's rhythm and blues. It derives from everything our people created whether it's jazz blues, like it derives from everything that who we are, it's our soul. So it's like the general And then right now is such a crazy time in the R and B world because it's such a fight right now for

everybody to say Army still alive, Army is dead. Everybody has an opinion about R and B. And now you're like on the forefront of trying to save R and make it what it's supposed to be and bring it back to what it should be. So it's like the moment you decide that you kind of want to be done or walk away from it. It's like in the middle of that, in the middle of the war, it's

like Jamika Mallory saying she's not gonna do the woman's marching. Yeah, it's I encourage all sides and I know that the heart is right to really save R and B. From a even a resource standpoint, like there's so much to work, the Tank brand to work, the Tank music, to work that that maybe it's a feeling or I'm asking you, is it well, how can I also build for other artists? Is if I have to still put so much work, you're only human. I think I just have to I

have to manage my time better. It's hard to do that, and it's hard to do that because, you know, but I think that my mindset, being kind of in a retirement space, has already given me UM has already given me the fuel to to move forward really on building you know what I'm saying, and grabbing and nurturing and then and then figuring out a time for myself, you

know what I'm saying. So I think it's really just going to be about, you know, trying to figure out how to manage that time better because it's been so all about me. Yeah, that I don't want it to be that because I don't feel like I don't feel like one person is going to save R and B. I feel like the collective is. And I mass some saying safe because R and B is is a lie. It's saved. But to get R and B back to

its prominence, it's going to take all of us. It's going to take people feel though, well, I mean, it's going to take the people who make people feel you know what I'm saying, come together a great conversation with with with usher and and like it's his like his passion about R and B music is just hearing hearing him say it, having a take from him. I can't give you everything, but hearing that conversation from him was crazy because you you I heard him like this, R

and B is my ship. Like I heard a different usher than I've ever heard in public or in an interview or anywhere. Like I saw I saw oh man, I saw knowledge. I believe for this ship. I saw that ussher and so that gave me more fuel. Like that's listen, listening, and we have to that those are the moments we need, like you know, yeah, it is U shirt, Um, it is Chris, it is Jasmine, it is her. You know, it's it's all of us trying

to figure out together. I think R and B is always they always pick one person out of the choir. They always grab one person out of the group. Always grab and so that's how we kind of always live out our careers as that one person. You know, I want to I want to stay on it for a minute because so so back say nineties, right, let's take it back to our nineties time where there were so many girl groups. I mean they were like ten girls time. But we're not talking about just like s W v

TLC the main we're talking about. You know, there's so many browns, so you keep going, there's so many girl groups. Do you feel that, Well, here's my theory, but here's the truth. And I'm just gonna say the truth. I feel like Beyonce made girl groups obsolete because once Destiny's Child, Beyonce went Beyonce and we said, wait a minute, what is that? And that's out of a group. It almost was like you didn't see girl groups to me in the same light anymore, because it was like, Beyonce, come

from a group, you finish. But I'm gonna add to that. Yeah, you know, I'm just saying, like, you know, we had Danity Kane, which I think was a really good I love it. I love Danity Kane. I think that they can all sing right, um. But I'm saying not to say, you know, male groups, girl groups groups who are a big part of our R and B heart and like the build up it as well, alongside with incredible solo acts as yourself in the future is does that even have a place that that? Did that play a role

in where R and B kind of went as well? Well? To to jump into that. I think that it's all like we all like to speak about the bigger agenda and they and all these other things. Right, I won't get into that part of it. I'll speak from the business standpoint and from an economical standpoint. When you see when you see Beyonce have the success that she has on her own, I mind you, Uh, Destiny's Child is the highest selling times right, so there's they did great

in economics. But you also a business person will say, well, look what we did with Beyonce, which is one person, you know what I'm saying, and that and and let's cut out. We didn't have to do two more first class tickets, we didn't have to do glam for two

more people. We didn't have to do wow. Okay, so maybe we should just be looking for Beyonce's just economically, you know what I'm saying, just based on the success of you know, you know, because everybody's chasing lightning in the bottom, which is right, and so the economics of a thing, even with solo artists, you know what I'm saying, And so R and B of course back in those group days was more expensive and what we didn't figure out how to do is how to make it economical

in two budgets aren't the same, and artist development department is no longer. Back in the day, the artist development started in church, you know what I'm saying, or on the street corner, you know what I'm saying, where you were saying and every day on the street corner with your guys, you know what I'm saying, Or you were singing in the bathroom and high school with your guys, or all of y'all went to the same church saying

in the same choir, seemed the same group. So from a vocal standpoint, you know what I'm saying, in a unity standpoint that was built there. When you got to a label, then how to be an artist was developed, right. But everything now it's for for his damn self records. Everybody's solo minded. Everybody is about what makes me happy. Everybody's like what I'm on And if it doesn't satisfy or if it's it, if it if it isn't instantly gratifying to me, I'm out and I'm gonna go find

the thing that is. So as we are in this instant world and we're talking about groups to take time, it takes even from even from being a dancer in the business. There were so many artists in groups that I got hired to be a part of for artist development. And you're in the studio. It's ship that's never seen any else. But you're in the studio working their ass up eight hours a day, sixty eight hours a day. I don't even hear anybody doing that anymore, like just

working on it. Can we also give some real fingersnaps and handclaps to was to to to the dancer world of Waszina has also brought to the dancer world pioneer and really pioneered, because you know, it's easy for you to say, oh, you know what, also dancer, let's but let's actually let's place it where really is. We're not talking about and no disrespect any video girls or vixens or anything like that. I love the art in any form,

so let's let's not take it out of context. That was both but no, yeah, but what I'm saying is, but it was your art. It was art that you were creating. And for say, like my first love was dance, which people wouldn't know, you know what I mean. When I was a little girl, always dance dancing. All my

dance like partners are all big choreographers and everything. Now, So what you created and open doors for young girls to come in and dance and create and build a career from that, you know, And that had a lot to do with the success of artists like yourself. You had to book dancers you can't to see on that day, and yeah, that's how but that's but that's a big part of even like this conversation about artists development and

what it takes to create something. Yeah, ten days. When I got hired to do his video, they were like, Okay, we're gonna have ten days rehearsal, one day video shoot. I was like tenda's rehearsal. I was like, oh, he doesn't have a budget. But I wasn't ten days of rehearsal. It was like, how many dancers do we have? It's really it's like ten to twelve girls something like that. No way I was dancing, we was up at I I was trying to get my my usher brown on.

That's what was going on. Chris Raymond. Even back then though, for an R and B artist to have tender dancers and be in there with the dancers like a lot of people weren't doing that then, and he was really giving his all doing what are you smiling? Because it's so cute to you. It does say he want to be a dancer, so Bader. You know what made me stop dancing when the song didn't work? Okay, and I felt like my dancing I had something almost going his career.

I felt like I felt like I was dancing good. I was dancing great, I was doing somersaults. Everything was great into that, but but when it didn't work, that entire thing for me just felt like a bad place, and I just stopped dancing. Period. But now, when you're on stage, like you gotta groove front of them all the time, but I can say, like i'd be jamming with you when you're on say to make sure he got it, I gotta did, Bob, and you do jam

with him because are you recording with no? He looks great on stage, Like he carries himself so good on stage, almost as if he's in the studio, likely in rehearsaling somebody, but he's not. He's by himself. Oh, he's beyond always rehearsing in my mind. Interesting, tell me about like I drive most of the times when I drive, especially when I'm by myself, I don't play the music. So when i'm driving or when I have those quiet times, when

I'm able to have those quiet times, I'm visualizing. I'm visualizing everything, Like if if Javon sends me the setness, then I'm visualized interesting. I'm so I'm gonna say this and then and I'm gonna do that and then and then, and I go over to my head and I make sure I have it downpacked perfect, Like every time you see me on stage, I'm going to do pretty much the same thing every night, with slight variations based on the energy in the room. But I'm very methodical and

very intentional with everything that I do on stage. You know what I'm saying, So that I know where to be when the lights do this, and I know where to be when the band hits this. I know where to be, like I know where to be. You know what I'm saying from artists now, because it's like you go back to what rehearsals, Like I've rehearsed so much so we're now in my mind. Now, in my mind, I can I can build it. And once I build it in my mind, my my my, my body turns

it out. I know what it is like what I whatever I was visualizing on Friday, when I get to the stage on Saturday, I'm going to do exactly that. You know what I'm saying. But that's from first having all those years rehearsal and artists development and understanding UM and understanding show in placement, you know what I'm saying, and all of those things UM and being groomed right like so um. We can't have those groups. We would turn all the way back to that. We can't have groups.

We just have to We just have to get people who who have been together. Yeah, I want to say, I feel like they have to be organic. They can't get together groups that are people that they have their own relationship that's not based on the business. It's not based on the money, that's not based on together. They have their own because because when you have that, you've argued before before, you've had your differences, but you're still together and that will carry over into you're doing record

company business. The thing that you'll stick to is each other because well, you're gonna you're gonna talk about my you know what I'm saying, It's not a group member. You ain't gonna talk about my sister like that, Like like what you're saying, like what you own? You know what I'm saying, Like we're together. It's that bond that we gotta find. And so if there are groups out there that are groups already and not trying to be groups for the bag, those groups will work because then

again they'll understand the economic of it. Listen, this isn't the days of being able to get everybody a hundred thousand dollar advanced and then have a three or four

thousand dollar budget to go along with it. No, we ma can only get each person a thirty thousand all advance ord all advanced, and then we may only be able to get to fifty to do the album and do album packaging, know what I'm saying, and then possibly get some sponsorship, you know, a liquor sponsor or some other sponsor to help get the visuals done and and and to and to run up for social media program like all those things. It has to be economical, right,

because that's the business that we're in. Like, people don't even understand how much artists used to have to recoup back in the day. Oh my god, like, I don't think anybody understands we were spending a yeah, they got that advanceing. I got to recoup this first. Before I came out the gate, I was I was maybe one point five maybe one point five, maybe a little over in the whole before I came out the gate. M

in the whole. That's a lot of money. And I know numbers are thrown around and people don't understand that's a lot of money I had to pay back. We need that back all people need to understand what regroup me against earth. Yeah, so you know we aren't living in those We aren't living in those times anymore. We aren't living in you know. But that's what you know. That's what my time away from the artist space is what I want to be able to develop and be

able to teach the new artists coming into the game. Question, yes, Tanks number one album chart wise? Is what number one album chart wise? I think I had just stop selling album. I mean now I'm starting the album single chart wise. When we was Tanks number one song to himself, if you could have said that should have been my number one song, even though when we I'm gonna tell you a song that should have been my number one I'm trying to figure out the song should have been my

number one song that I think would have. I mean, I've I've done well. Yes, I've done well. I'm still doing well. But I think would have. I don't know, but this might have done something crazy and I don't I might have. I might have went somewhere else. Um celebration featuring Dre, that's your song? Well, how did that song get Tickere? Let me tell you something. You said that's my song. I love that song. That's no your song.

I'm saying. That's what she's saying, number one, number one song in terms of the song that I think could have outdone everything all of my songs. Right, Like, Drake is on fire. He's you know what's fair? He always but but he's on fire. Okay's fire And he and we get on the phone. He's like, bro, I'm a big fan man. That's sex love in pain. And I was like, because she actually introduced me to Drake, who got who got him? On Celebration? I okay, must have

been you. You want to pa, go ahead, get your shoulder one time. We're here, Yeah, hit your should on one time? He did late for late. Hey, I don't even think I knew that. So yeah, it was the time. So you you introduced me to Drake because I didn't know who Drake was. No, I didn't know Drake. I induced to the music. So I go, clear up, we

have a pass here. So so I go to her house and she's like, oh, this dude, this dude call me out on the song like it's it's crazy here and I'm like what song and say loving pain Baby. I was like he's like yeah right, I'm like he's doing and so like even from that song, that song

coming out, my walkthroughs went out. All of a sudden, I was in the club, thank you wanna you're trying you want to host your my hosting club st That's like I'm bad, I'm back right, And so get in contact with your ache and he's like, I'm a man, I'm a big fan. Man. Me and my guys love the sex stuff and pain. If you ever need me on anything, just say the word see this. We get off this. I don't know him to do this, but and I didn't have a song. I said, I'll send

you one. I'll send you one. And the first song I sent him with sex music, and I sent him sex music and he was like, he's like, he's like, I like it, but I don't think that's the one. And I was like, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, don't

work because I don't go draw right. So so so I went back and the stereotypes had given me a track, right, and this track was so crazy that sometimes I get a track and it's so it's just it's so amazing to me that I I'm so into the music that I can't find the journey that that's supposed to lay on top of. I can't find it. And I literally listened to that track and I took that track with me to Miami. I remember this vividly, and I remember sitting on on the I'm sitting on the balcony at

night and I'm looping this track. I'm looping it. I'm just with a beverage over and over. I'm so in love with the music. I can't find the journey. So I finally get back to l A. I think it was on like A just maybe A doing a couple of dates or something. I finally get back to l A. And this is when we're working in an Underdogs building on on violence and m So I go up to our room and uh and Jay is sitting there and I'm like, I'm like, Jay, this track has just been

can't it's been killing me. I was like, I just can't find I can't find it. And so he's like, you said play it, play it. So I play it and JB was listening to he said it just it feels like a celebration, like it just. I said, that's it. Turned it, my go turn it on and said, that's it. That's it. At the bottom of that phones any baby, egn sell to think it's your birthday baby. He'll sell him probably after party. I can't wait to sell him all the party. And then I said, oh, he's gonna

love this one because this is it. I can't wait to send this one to the boy. Yes to the boys. And I sent that with to Drake and he said, yes, sir, yeah, this is it. He said, I got you on it. Now. You gotta be patient when you get these Drake versions. Okay, you gotta be patient. You know, chick, I see you moving away right, you know what I got see you Christ and I let you. I let your boy when if you get a minute. You don't want to press,

you don't want to stress. You want to gotta be nice about you, gotta be patient when you trying to get the Drake burst now and uh and sent his verse back. When he sent his verse back, the thing that was most impressive about his verse was him asking me, hey, man, like, do you like it? And if you if you don't like it, man, just let me know. I can redo any of it. And I was like, what what? No? What? Right? Like, he's Drake. You can drop a verse off and not

say nothing. He can, he can do that, but the verse is so crazy. I was like, you are out of control. You're out of control, right, take this to the label. We have not only at Drake, not only a Drake feature. We have a Drake feature for the love and now. Yeah, it was I couldn't afford a Drake feature. No, I couldn't afford it. I had a Drake feature for the love. He respected you in your music, so I'll go to But I said, listen, this is I don't have to and unfortunately berg Man wouldn't clear

him at the time. Is that what happened? And I think I think for a while he thought I just got a verse from him and didn't put it out. I think that he thought that, yeah, And I remember having a conversation, I said, I said, he said, man, you got the whole thing. And you know what I'm saying that you just kind of settled, I said. I said, I did not. I argued in my record company, like I said, with shout out to Junic Ringwall, shoutut um. And they were like, what do you want to go

with next? And I said celebration? Yeah, this this is the next celebration, is it? And they were like, we don't have the clearance. Think. I was like, I don't care, don't they were and they were like that's not how are legal works? And they were like they were like I was like, they were like we we have tried to get the clearance. We cannot get the clearance. So he said no, or he just wouldn't get back to the burn Man, wouldn't you know, That's what I'm saying.

He said no, or he just did not know this. Can we go back? And I've I've never gotten around to asking Burdman. You know, you gotta ask Bergman nicely. You can't respect you gotta you gotta put respect on it. He was calling you man and um, but we couldn't get that clearance and what ended up heavy time though. I'm just now thinking about the time that emergency and I can't make you love me. I mean, yeah, I

can't make you let me. Those songs dropped, but I feel like after celebration, those songs would have hit way interested. Those songs would have hit way different. And and that's that. That to me, that's my number one song that never went number one. And they're like and they're like, I'll see Drake right and here'll be like this. We gotta get one. It's like, when stop saying this to me because I get together together down Let's just leave the party.

Let's just leave the party right down the studio to you. What do you mean? Oh my god? He said it like three times, so we have to do that every time he says it. And every time he says that, I get excited. That's baby said, we're gonna get one. Light up, come on, man. Like a couple of calls, what is your most meaningful album? Great most meaningful album? Wow,

they're all my babies, They're all my babies. Sex c louth In Pain Sex Love in Pain is probably my most meaningful album because, um, first I have been on the bench, and then due to how much time had elapsed, I've been written off m hm. So you know, I kind of got forced into writing and producing for so many people because I died off as an artist and I needed to feed my kids. I'm saying I didn't

have any other choice. That wasn't the space I wanted to be in, but the space I had to be in, which ended up being a major blessing in disguise, right m hmm. And when when we were getting ready to put this album out a few things happened. You were there for everything m hm. Shout out to my O G Fats, who says, man, I got some guys. If they're not gonna play us, I got some guys that will get us in the game and put the money

behind us. It comes BMF. So Z, Me and Z actually fly down to Miami with Fats to go to one of the guy's birthday party and being Meth to be introduced to be Math and so can you give a year on this two thousand and five or yeah, So we go down there and meet the guys and they're like, here you with us. But even before that, Harvey walks up to me and says, we should make a Tank album, Like why would we do that? So we just should, like what do we have to lose?

It was like remember I was like, man, they're not really working with me right now, like you said, so what, Let's just make some music. Like Hardy was just like that, Let's just make music, man, just make music. Let's just make music. Man so much, right, And so we just started working on bits and pieces, you know, of an album. And then incomes BMF and incomes BMF's money to fund the whole thing, and and you know, and then comes Barry Hankerson doubling back or around, like, hey, what's going

on over there with my artists? That's what's going on. We have this uh, you know, record to present. At the time, we were being distributed by Motown. And when we turned when when Barry goes to play the Tank album, were we got Tank ready? Coming up? Blind up to drop? Someone says, why are we why are you? Why are we working on another Tank album? And I had been written off last album two thousand two, it's two thousand six. You didn't get that kind of time back then, unless

you Janet Jackson. I wasn't Janet Jackson. Just be honest. I was, UM, so this album with my heart and soul like my real life, literally my real life. Like I went to the studio one of the songs when I first started working with the Underdogs, I went in as an artist to just get songs, and they wrote a song called the Wedding Song. And they didn't know me. They didn't really know me at all. They didn't know that they had just written a song about everything that

I had just left behind at my house. They had written it and put it in a song. And I sat there and I had to stop myself from breaking down crying in front of these strangers, and I was like, what made you all write that? They were like, we were just feeling the vibe, you know what I'm saying. Like I was like, this you were you don't even understand what you just said and what you just did, right and so, and then other pieces of the album.

You know what I'm saying. You know, we're about me, and this one right here, Heartbreaker was not about me. Z has made it clear Heartbreakers because everyone asked me that all the time. Heartbreaker kind of because I was there when you record me finished, because I didn't write the whole song by myself, so the pieces that I interject had a little bit to do with us, but it was me, Eric and Tony that wrote all of

it together. So it was pieces of everybody's you know what I'm saying, but I hate you yeah yeah yeah, and then you wrote our wedding song. So it's so crazy because when the album came out, she called me. She said, she said, well, Ship, I might as well be in the video off the time, no, no, nothing,

I got your sucking out. I might as well be in all the videos you always point records, um, so I think sex off in Pain, and then just the the influence of that album, like that album has spawned so many other R and B singers, songwriters and producers that I had no idea was listening. That's so many people's favorite album. I had no idea that that many people,

you know, we're listening. I think the biggest one for me was when when Chris Brown was like, bro be my favorite, Like your vocals and all the si Cleving paint, its like that's it, that's the Bible, Like that's what I'm playing it right now. I go see Chris Brown of the sold out tour, the arena sold out, and I get on the bus and Secleving Paint is playing Yah, We've been playing this all day. This is what I play.

I gotta get my get my focus right and get and then I'm like yeah, and I'm looking at and you know, a trade trade songs is like listen to that, to listen to that out for a whole summer, who summer and after that summer he comes with invented Sex and then say ah and goes to the stratosphere. You know what I'm saying. It's those moments for me, Like that album, Um, that album validated me in the musical universe in a in a way that I never imagined. It validated me in a way that I've only looked

at people that I have. The way that I looked at baby Face, you know what I'm saying, The way that I looked at Keil's, the way that I looked at the Reverend John PIKEI the way that I looked at Kimberly, Like I only saw people that way. I never thought that people would see me that way, you know,

And so save pain did that? I mean other great albums and moments after that, you know what I mean, especially from White writing our wedding song together and um, you know even like my stronger album, Stronger albums, the stronger album. Would you talk about how my kids can listen to that? Feting to end the only album with the stronger album, I'm gonna make just hold some R and B music listen, not take his sugar off for the whole album he did. I'm gonna go back to

the basics. I'm gonna go get a lot strings, I'm gonna button it up, suiting all. I'm gonna be tasteful Tank, and it's gonna be tasteful Tank. And it was everybody was like, They're like, what is all the way to cud? You really listen to the songs on that album? Well, guess what I did in that that You're my star song in the year my star video I danced, m oh I never paid attention to that correlation. Don't dance, Okay,

I'll do, I'll do. I'll do is my gift. And they said no, no, no, But that one wasn't bad. It doesn't, it doesn't. It's not saying it was bad. It just doesn't work. And so, but what I was saying about that album was that album was a combination of a breakup and being broken down and rekindling and being built back up. You see what I'm saying. Like that album was a crazy transition for me, going from out of that into this, you know what I'm saying.

So Like the album had such sentimental value to me. I wanted it to work so bad for that reason. Um, but you know they you know, they wanted me to get back to the titties. You know what, whatever, we don't want to I'm happy right now. Guys. Okay, this guy is singing, show, this guy is singing. I don't get it. Show you can we talk about how I always tell you that. I always told him because he's like, yeah, I need dancers, I need singers, I need the lights,

I need this. I'm like, you don't need anything. And I know he thinks I'm hating because I don't want to neverside me. But I'm always saying, I said, it's really rare that you see an R and B artist this day and age that can carry an entire show, carry an entire theater arena with him a piano, a mic, and a light and he doesn't need ship. And I say that to him all the time, like, I guess it makes sense even when you say it, like when you do you're dancing and it just doesn't work. Just

say it's terrible. No, I'm not even like. The way that he carries an audience on stage is ridiculous. It's I I love it. I'm so amazed by it. I do appreciate it. And it's like I see that, right, I get it. But but when I go to like a Justin timber Lake shows, give it a little show. I mean, when I go to Chris Brown show, I know I can't do that's but some of the polished things that I see, you know, Russia and j T do,

I'm like, I could do something like that. I could do some of that hand I could say my little four square feel like And so I get I get so enamorous, and I'm such a fan of artists that do it that I'll just be wanting the piece of it, not a whole. You know, I should be wanting a piece of it. But you on stage is so amazing.

You at the piano, you in your personality, you in your comedy because he has a comedy section into his show as well, and it's like people are like, Damn, I didn't know Tanke was funny like that, Like a lot of people don't realize how funny he really is.

In my conversations with people, because I happen to know a lot of people always say I bring I probably bring your name up so many times your ears have to ring because I always tell people one of them that's not fun one of the funniest people I know, because she said, that's why I love you, baby say, but I always say, take is literally one of the funniest people I know in the world. Like if we're

hitting top, like, he's so funny. And that's something I always try to say in conversations when anything comes up, artist wise, music wise, if you come up, because I feel like it's something that people really should know about him. It's not like it's just like that's your person, now,

really who you are. It took a minute. It took a minute for me to be comfortable you know with the goofball is your friends and family now, yeah, my friends and family know, but it took a minute for me to be comfortable with just being that, you know, just on stage what I'm saying, and it took from it took being around Jamie Fox and learning how to how to deliver it, you know what I'm saying, Understanding the timing of it, you know what I'm saying, to

really be able to put it together, like being that time with him, you know, being his understudy and just watching like, oh that's how you Okay, Okay, okay. I mean he's a master at it, you know what I'm saying. But I was able to just grab pieces from him that I knew I could take and incorporate into my space. Would you we've seen you act well, of course, I've seen you sing, We've seen you dance even against We've seen you have really great comedy show moments in your show.

What do you say to Peep that act as if you can only have one talent as a person, Like you're really a quadruple threat person organically and those are your real talents. It's we're in a day in the age where you better have more than one talent. You better like you better be able to diversify that portfolio. Because my saving grace quietly instagram mm hmmm. Because outside of my music, nobody knew me. Sure, so me being able to like show my many talents, display my personality,

show my drip. That's a skill. Oh my god, it's again. Yeah it's expensive too. That it is okay, SIPs, it is um. But being able to put all of these gifts on display is I think the thing that change. Of course people's perception about me, but more so their understanding and and they could figure out what part of me they wanted to buy into right now. You you give people options in terms of how they want to celebrate. You know what I'm saying, Like, his music is cool,

but his jokes he's hysterical. You know what I'm saying. Uh, it's not really that funny. I don't really like his music, but man, he'd be ragging when he put that ship on. He put that ship on, you know what I'm saying. Or you know, I don't really like what I'm saying. But when he was Gerald bust me in the new edition, he was killing that. Like and so the more you have, I think, the less people you lose. You're got I'm

gonna get you with something. I'm gonna something. I'm gonna get you with something, You're gonna like me for something, And so I think that, you know, people should not be afraid two to venture out and and grow and develop all of your talents, all of your gifts. Like there's no one way anymore, there are no rules. We are in the We are in the wild wild West. In terms of being able to monetize anything. People are monetizing everything. Yeah, selling everything. There are an exhausted on

Oh my god. No, seriously, there are at least a hundred thousand people that will buy anything, the billions of people in the world. Some things you shouldn't sail because some things are hey, hey, guess what, there's there's a people want to buy that. There's a black market for everything. Which one do you actually want to pursue more invest than most of your time into is it? Would it

be comedy or would it be acting? Acting? For sure, comedy stand up helps me, helps me up, stand up me perfect my time when I'm in front of the camera acting interesting because as much as I want to, I want to save the world and shoot him up and be like not the rock, but like maybe the pebble. You know what I'm saying. No, No, um, I know I'm in the audience. Horrible game? Did he laughs? She

laughs at everything everything. She's your friend. She believes in you acting for sure, because I feel like at some point I'm gonna end up like in the romantic comedy space, you know, That's that's where I want to. I do want to be a superhero, but I think he could be. I think even within me being a superhero, I still be fun and funny. Yeah, ship the superheroes nowadays they're hysterical ones. They are funny. Now. I love Ryan Reynolds, I love armand so I'm a rom com fanatic like that.

I'm choosing that over everything. Kano. I want to ask about Okay, most artists, thank you, tz that can actually really sing. I won't say most, but a lot of them. A large number of them came from church. You as well, Yes, what do you think it is about that? Almost training? Really? You know, like even musicians right certain way, your greatest keys player or drummer, bass player, now as that aston they came from the church. What what is it about that?

I mean, I love the Lord, so I know, but what is it about that that I think makes some of the greatest vocalists and musicians. I think I think in I want to go too deep, but I think in God's presence is the ultimate place to train. Catching her that's Champagne, that Baptist came with your first I

was catching it right. I think that's actually would uh that that is that is the ultimate training grounds, in the presence of God and and having UM having the Spirit guide you, UM, having the Spirit help teach you, and and and groom you. And you know that that is the connection of the church, you know what I mean?

Like those critiques in the church are different UM and and and I think ultimately in the church, what they want you to have is a connection to what you're doing, to not just be doing it, but to actually have a reason, you know what I mean, to actually have UM have conviction for too for to live in you before it comes out of you. You know what I'm saying. And there's no other place to get that except in the presence. What do you feel like this new generation

is going to do? Because I feel like they're not in the church. Well, there are some, but nowhere near like ours back and nowhere we're not. We're not. I won't say we, but I would say there used to be approaching m You know what I'm saying in terms of the church, like and ours will go to church, Like my guys found me in church. Really yeah, I was at church when the guys came and got me. Hey, you got it? What's happening? You want to sing? I said no. For the longest, I only sing. I can't

do second. I only sing. Look at you now whatever? Um Like back in back in like tenth grade, Virgin of Records came came to get our group. It was like, listen, you guys would be amazing. Um, you guys can sing. You know, you guys can sing good music. You know what I mean. And if you wanted to sing about Jesus, it could be like pronoun gospel like you know, you could sing and have to have the message. But you know, and and you know, we have tours lined up with

Janet Jackson and all of them. They were just like they were laying on like we we want you guys, and we were like if we can't say the name of Jesus, yes, there is no place for us. And I was like when I look back on that time, but I look back, um, roller you know was what

it was? You know, what I'm saying, like that wonderful name. Um. And so you know, I think that I think that a lot of people have just stopped looking in that place for for this thing, because this thing isn't mainstream, isn't anymore, It isn't pop culture, So they're not looking for that. What's pop culture now is the streets. What's coming off the streets on that conveyor belt. That's where we go look for our next whatever. We go looking in the streets. But they used to go looking in

the church. How else do you get to read the Franklin? How else do you get to read the Franklin? Got to go to the church to get a Ready she's not reading. Don't you gotta go? You gotta go down down by Read's house. Yeah, you do, on that corner, that's right. And so I think can talk to her parents. I think they're there. I think they are there. Um. Um two Sean who produces father, it's a church kid. You can hear it when he produces, you can hear

it when he sings. It's a church kid. What I'm saying, like, without a doubt, So they're there. Um, it's just gonna take the people who know where it is and know what to do with it to go get it like you there it is acting? What is the difference on stage right saying and then on set portraying whatever this role? Maybe the difference is like on stage, I'm I'm Tank, like that nuances completely developed already. A song may be new,

but it's still a Tank song, right, um. Or when they come to see me perform, they come to see Tank perform. Um. When people come to see me act or turn onto television, they expect to see Tank, but they don't HM, and I have to be able to give them the character that they came to see. Right, Let's say the title is I don't know, uh, save in the Hood. Say let's save the Hood, right the pebble featuring the pebble, all right, whatever? And I, um, they don't want to see They don't want to see

Tank the singer save the Hood. They want to see this character, for lack of a better title, action Jackson save the Hood. And so I didn't have to find the natural spaces within me that I can dedicate completely to that character and not go off into these other spaces like I can't save the Hood and be yeah, you know what I'm saying, like, right, that's Tank. I can't do that, right, you know what I'm saying. I can't.

I can't, Like there's certain things that I can do is Tank, that don't work for the action Jackson character. You know what I'm saying when I'm doing the interview. You know what I'm saying, Like, when I'm doing my interviews, it's Tank. I have to be personal, gotta be fun, it's gotta be like, yeah, it take this cracking the jokes when I'm actually Jackson. I'm saving the hood. I have a real concern for the people on my street. How are you going to help us? Or do we

need to help ourselves? Look at you know what I'm saying. Three So it's like it's still me, but it's dedicated nuances to that character. It's not everything that you've seen me do it before. It's not all of time. It's just it's linear. It's one piece right here. This These are the pieces from me that create that character, that connect with that character. We're only using these pieces right here. That's why I can't do it. You can do it. So he wants to do it, she should come out.

She's too damn funny. Did you hear you're funny? You are funny. I laughed at you all the time. She has she's ridiculous. I have great comedic timing. You do, but you do have to do it in front of the camera. I have a camera right here. I'm good. It's not the same. Okays, no action on it. Last looks, the last looks, make it last look all times. I can't remember ship. I need giant side side giants and let see what this? Okay, I got it? Okay, like just cut? What do you want people to know about

you that you don't think they know? But I don't think they know? What are you wantesome? People don't know about you? I don't think that you think you lay it all out there, and I don't want to. I don't. I don't want this to sound, you know, come off, come off weird, but I don't. I don't necessarily care what they do or don't know about me, do know or don't know about me. What I would like to feel like is or what I would like to know about myself is that I've done my best, and to

some people that's going to be amazing. To some people that's not going to be enough. If I get caught up in either, I'll lose. Wow. So I don't. I don't have an expectation of what I want people to expect or to understand or to even believe it. I just I just want to do my best and and live with whatever the results are. Like that's that's true happiness for me. Like I laid it all out there,

I went crazy, you know what I'm saying. Like I said, it's always gonna be somebody in the comments, like somebody was, somebody said, somebody says something about you're a true king or something like that, and then somebody win the comments that you ain't no king, you ain't never been no kings. But you know what, though we could say hayting, but to that person, I'm not their king to that person, I'm not that sexy to them. I'm not handsome to them. You know what I'm saying. My body all built up

with all of these muscles. They don't like that I do so for you, it's really all for you. So so so I don't you know, I'm staying. But you can't get caught up. You can't get caught up into that, you know. I give, I give very eloquent answers in interviews. I want to be known as the hardest working man in R and B music. Um, but most people aren't even going to see that. It's like he worked how he worked cool, He ain't worked hard. I have no idea, And so you you can't expect them to know, you

can't expect them to really really following your journey. Yeah, I mean, and are close up. They still don't even know, like still don't even see you know. But for me, it's this close, like because because the honesty that I have in this room governs everything. So if anybody in this room comes to me and says, hey, that ain't it, Yeah, it's not okay, you know what what I'm saying, Or somebody in this room comes to me and says more of that, Okay, okay,

this is the bar for me, you know what I'm saying. Like, my my circle is our circle is of the people that really care about us. And really it's small, it's trusted, it's trusted, and that's where I live. That's where I get my love. Like if my party, if my party got it's just really it's what I don't know. I mean, if if if I'm your king cool. If I'm not cool,

I'm a king somewhere right right here. So if you didn't actually leave the church to go to the R and B world, she left, did I believe trying to say put a backpack home? He left. He left for the bag so he could send it back home. Where do you think that you would see yourself? Like? What what were you into doing? What was your hobbies? What did you ever see yourself doing besides me fota player? Wow? Sure? So you be an athlete? Athlete? I mean, did you

ever get paid doing anything athletic? You've got the church. I'm just asking. I was a teenager when when this all happened a profession? Did you get a check? You get a check? No? I never got to that point. Um. But you know when I when I my first time duncan in eighth grade, you couldn't tell me nothing. I was gonna be a star. I could bounce like a run, fast,

touchdowns all that. Um, So I thought that that was my path and church kind of got in the way of that, you know, got in the way of me pursuing a lot of that because it was always acquired with her. So it's always grew up with her. So it was always a church, got something to do on Saturday. So I couldn't really dedicate myself to sports like I

wanted to, but I was. I was still really good. Um, but I you know, music has always had a way of just kind of like tapping me on the shoulder every now and then, like I don't know, why are you trying to do all that? You know what I'm saying, like this is that right here, you're gonna be with me. I'm just trying to you know, like a ninth grade when the girls started screaming at that assembly, when I started singing, It's always been simply come on in a

multi purpose room. So you know that's sent that center rushed through my body that I've never had before in my life. And so there were always moments even in the football field on the huddle, I'm singing in the huddle like Babs, come on, man, be serious. I'm like, I can be serious if you give me the ball. Touch y'all. Like I was that guy. So you know, it just always had a way and let me know. And then when I went to when I was going to college, offers the Scholarship School of Schools I didn't

want to go to partial scholarships to the schools. I did want to go to UM and ended up getting a full scholarship to Morgan State from music. All right, maybe I'll take my full scholarship and then play football on my music scholarship. And they were like, exactly, we need you. We're gonna need your main do these you know, do these class um. And so music has always had a way of reminding me like, I hear you, but this is where you're supposed to be. And so it

was always meant to be. It's always meant to be. That's I'm athlete to this day. You know that I worked out twice a day. Um. But that's just you know, that's my nature. That's the competitive nature of me. That's just always going to be there. But music is Music has always given me no choice. Wow, instruments, I think that what has to be really celebrated are musicians. He's

a true musician, that's my point. But you don't even know he really plays drums here go here in live My whole point because again, my conversations outside you know, with so many people, and no, he's not it's an artist. There's artists shout out to the artists, and then there's

true musicians, you know, and that's what you are. And I think your your humility and it kind of probably speaks to your true passionate love for it because you don't say like even people telling me, oh, we didn't know that take play the piano, you know when you started going live and doing the piano on Instagram a lot more during COVID and stuff like that. Just people that are like fans and stuff like that. I'm like, of course he plays producers. He let me give you

a bar, give you a bar. Wait on that. I'm shout out to puff brother loves as I like to call them. Um. I went to his house other day. He said, he said, we're going to Jim Bean's house and said, what okay, okay, roll with me, roll roll with me. Playboy and heavy room h um. Just you like you walk in this room and you're like, what is this? What is in there? Playing vinyl? I think vinyl um? Heaveryone. Shout out to my brother Larry Jackson, m amazing brother and sitting there man by the name

Dr dre mm hmm, my goodness, my goodness. And I've I've met Dre a couple of times, but we've never actually really been able to have an exchange. And so you know, at some point, you know, during this whole room thing that's happening, he's like he's like, he's like, man, you know, we just you know, we always meet and passing, man, but we've never ever forgotten a chance to you know, really like tap in. And like he says, I was like, yeah, man, I was like, you know, I loved him and so

and so I'm just sitting next to them. We're just talking about the records that are playing and talking about the instrumentation, and I'm watching, like I'm watching Dre as he's listening because Dre hears everything like and so I just when I'm watching him while he listens and like, yeah, yeah, just his energy right, and he's like, uh, he's like so thank you know, like like he's like, do you right, I said? I said? I said? I said. I said everything, sir,

I do. I said, I do everything. He said, he's okay, you play any instruments, I said, Dre, I do everything. He said, Come here. We get up that. We walked out the room and we go to a piano and he starts playing. You know what I'm saying. I'm like, okay, he said, let me see something like well, he like, oh you, so he started playing something else. He started playing something else, he said, he said. I said, oh I see what you're going with that. You're gonna here

my phone listen. She said, oh you that? Oh you like that? Okay? Yeah, yeah, we need to get out. Yeah yeah. He's like, and you probably you you you you need to see my you need to see my musician. I said, I promise you that your musicians are probably might right soon we get there. I got bluetooth box and I say, I'm trying to you. And but it goes back to what you were saying where a lot

of people don't really know that I do it. Oh and so you know having Dre dr Dre like recognize it and say that's that's a kid that's different, and like, you know what I'm saying, I'm brand new and there's a forty six year old man. I'm like this man like playing already the producer bible for a lot of producers.

His drums for sure, but his body, he's a He's made the call to some of the called his bodies of work all times, and so I'm sitting in the studio, you know Withdre and Puff like, I'm sitting here and I'm like, yeah, I'm in the business, and yeah I've been successful at it. But there are levels. I understand those levels, and so when I'm sitting in the room

with those levels, I am paying attention. I am taking notes because I am trying to get to that level and and making myself available as a musician or as a songwriter, or as a background singer or whatever is needed in the moment you saying you speak about humility. I love music. Whatever you need me today, let's get it, Okay, what it is? You just need me to clap? He came home. So I'm sorry that night that he came home so inspired school and another thank you Dr Drep.

But like the inspiration you can't pay for, you can't muster up, you can't find it that you just like you gotta imagine, you know, a Puff saying, listen to this and playing music looking at you like, or Dr Dre Son listen to this and like looking at you like and like like getting your take on it, like like you're gonna say anything other than it's amazing because it's absolutely amazing. You know, like I said, your levels and and and growing and still wanting to grow to

be preferently be on that level. Like these guys are guys, These guys are five million dollar plus guys. Huh yeah, I need I need to be around them. Here I am, which look like yeah. So you know, it's more of that discover read that I think is a great word. It's more of that discovery that you know, as I move into these other spaces and I'm able to rub those kind of elbows and things that I think more

people will be exposed to. Oh we can, we can take him for that can tank for everything outside of pianos your favorite instrument to play because people now know you play the piano, but that's not the only instrument you play. Drums is my is my favorite to play. Yeah, I'm not as good. I'm not as good at playing drums as I am at playing piano, only because you know, I don't play drums as much. Yeah, when I was younger,

it was drums first in piano. But you know, girls didn't really they didn't really move when I played the drums. It's always girls, you know what I'm saying when I played that piano first, you girls are sitting up on that piano like sing that one part again, Like you know, say the girls can gather around the piano and drums just too loud. Don't say the girls could gather around. You hit the second girl that one too. We don't hit that thing the game. That was too loud. They

think at the bottom, that's too much. Right. The organ did get you know, I was just gonna the organs only gets you the real church girl, the deaconess. The organ to get you the deaconess. You're telling about your experience in what the deaconess? No, No, when I went to Rome and what was which the Michael Angelo Church, the Michael Angelo Church. And then let me play the

pipe organ? What yeah? Video that let me play the pipe and it was like cloned down, locked up, you're the only one in there because that cadence is that it's it's a different movement that it took me a second to collect and in different notations. It was different. I had to It took me a second to like I was like, oh, you can't do that, you gotta do this like this, and then dude that you got it. God. But it was like it was like amazing and to hear it in it was a spiritual Yeah, I was

like it was crazy. So yeah, Organ really it gets you. You know how many people can say that not a lot, not ze arm By Money the label. Look at first of all, how you came up with arm By Money. We know what I'm saying. What made you just say I'm gonna call my label Army Money Because I kept watching young money, cash money, everything, like everything that's that was being successful at the time, it was all predicated

on money. Everything that everybody was doing at the time was flashing their money, trying to put their they drip on to show you that they got money. And you know, in the club, popping all the bottles they can pop to let you know they got money, pulling up in the craziest whips so let you know they got money. Mm hmm. Everybody's trying to figure out how to make money and they only want to be associated with things

that they feel like are making money. Yeah, what is the call out to let people know that R and B music makes money? Oh? R and B money. It wasn't con times. It was as simple as that. I want people to associate R and B music with making money, R and B money, And it wasn't a selfish ploy. It wasn't like I'm the only one who's made R and B money. These R and B money hats are gonna go on so many different people's heads who you know, so many established artists came to send we want them.

R and B money has no like. It's that movement with being able to once we get this merch together, give this merch out to those who are in the R and B money fraternity, fraternity and sorority, like we're we are a unit that makes R and B money, that makes R and B look good, that makes R and B feel good, makes RB smell good. We keep R and B expensive. You know what I'm saying, you're very expensive. What do you mean he's more expected than me? I'm not. Yes, you are not, Yes, you are. You

get your ring and look at my ring. That's because I bought that and you bought it. Your ring calls more than this and this beautiful rings. You know when we get robbed playing with these people, but you know, it's it's that association. And so while these kids are enamored with the idea of being able to make money. That's the call out, that's the flag. And then once we get you in the building, we can teach you how to do that properly. There's an education that goes

along with R and B money. It's not just we're gonna make some money. No HARMBI money is to teach their artists the financial literacy class because these kids got no no, they know they have to they have to know there has to. I mean we were talking with Tiffany fred and just about all of those things and all of those um teachable moments that that should be

in a sense, if not required, at least offered. Like if it's not required as a part of your deal, it should at least be a space within your infrastructure where you can go to this class. You can go learn this and you can ask these questions and you can get the game. Um, because somebody has to know it, either somebody you trust on your team, you know what I'm saying, or you that they can you know, relay

this information to you. Like sometimes creative creatives don't want to be bogged down with the business of it all because it is stressful, like to try and you know, um, brain fatigue is a real thing where you're trying to do it through contracts and negotiating then go to the studio and try to make a hit record. Like that's a lot, you know what I mean. But the information has to be uh made more available, you know what

I'm saying. I think for for artists, and you know, we are definitely a part of wanting to offer that so that you know how to manage and information. I love that too. I love that too. I think it's important, especially kids that make it in music. Um A lot of times there from places that you know, whether it's from inner city neighborhoods and things like that, and those things weren't taught, you know, even for me, that wasn't taught. How money was taught. Not managing money was talking keeping

it learned by default. And also I think in black and brown homes, we almost teach our kids to say for something like say for that car, you want to say for the house. It's like, well, there's also to be a lifestyle of saving as well, so that you

just have. So it's just all these like nuances. I think, like you said, you are very important to teach these artists that are coming and everything, yeah, um, and royalties and things like that, which you know so much about differently than what newer artists you know, because there was this thing going around for a while where people were just like being hype about owning masters, and I'm like, I get it, but do you do you know what to do with masters? Do you know what it means

to have to own it? Do you know how? Do do you know how to generate revenue from your masters? Most of them don't even know what that means. They just here, Yeah, and I want to own my masters? Why do you want to own your masters? Why do you want to own your masters versus being partners with somebody partnering up with your masters who who have a global infrastructure to help you monetize your master. Why wouldn't you want to do that? You don't know, You just

the lingo is just going around. So it's that definitely, it's that information is those kind of things that need to be taught, even if you're at an independent Okay, got it, you gotta you gotta or you know what I'm saying, or or five if that's fine, But somebody's gonna have to administrate your master's You don't have the infrastructure, you don't have the relationships. You don't even know them. People, you don't even know the people. People you don't the

first person to call to license masters. You don't have email, you don't even know what the google you don't. So you know, we are about like, that's what you know. That's what the label, that's what the podcast, that's what all these things are about about. Now, you guys definitely have some teachable moments in your podcast. It's about being informative because there's so many things. There are so many things that you learn through experience only only like the

you're just not in the book. I don't care how many music books you read or music business books you read. Most of that stuff that we do, that we talk about, that we negotiate is not in those books. The rape maybe how you get to it, my god, The bartering, the taking less to get more, the knowing what to do in that moment, that decision part, like what am I supposed to do? And what you do? Because I

have been like, let me see how I talked to this. Yeah, that's I don't play about listen to promoter, ain't got your BA I can, but it's three thousand people out there, right, what do you do? Sure came to see you. Do you know that the promoter and the building are two separate people? Do you know that you can go to the building and say, hey, man, your promoter that is using your building doesn't have my money. He's gonna make your building look bad. Are you prepared to do something

about that? Going to say, frond me that money and then take it up with They don't even it's not in the book. And you know that by default hard knock life or three thousand people out there, I'll never work with him again, right, and I'm gonna give the show of let's turn the music on. He's definitely good for that. No, we got the bag now. I'm like that too, though, and I'll make sure it's understood. I'm

no very I'll tell my friends, He'll tell Instagram. You have to because that business part which we we could talk creative, we could talk all these beautiful grandioso things as an artists, but the business, the music business and economics all that that is an important component of it, like the biggest, the most important. The successful ones understand and do business. It's like us restructure in our business.

It was it was to the benefit of of both of us, us and our partners, because to them economically, they weren't taking a risk and to us, economically, we were just betting on ourselves. And so they were like, yeah, cool, let's right. Yeah. We were like, that's right. And so then it just became about the work. If it's just

about the work, uh, we're gonna win that. But a great partnership because we're not making we're not making our partners jump out the window, you know what I'm saying on the first day, But we are willing to take the hit to show them that we are worth being partners with, we are worth being in bed with, and that then on the back side of that success, it's like, you know what, give you a little more to keep doing that. You know what, We're gonna give you even

more of that to keep doing that. Do you have those conversations say I need more or do you hope that they'll say we're gonna give you a lot more? No, I don't. I don't. I am I'm comfortable with continuing to bet on myself. I really am. Like I just when I look at the numbers and I think everybody should get their bag. If you're worth something crazy by all means, if you can get it, get it. I

don't want to I don't want to owe. Like you know, I, like I said, I'm in I'm an owner of my master's and I want to eat off my master's every by quarterly. I want a six figure check to come in. That's what I want to see for my work for the rest of my life. I mean, sure we can cash out and get you know, this big old lump sum up front, and I don't. I don't, I don't know. I don't know if that's the long game, you know

what I'm saying. And then you start digging holes in so many different places where it's like at a certain point, nobody wants to do business with you because all you have, you know, you have a trail of that behind you, and nobody wants to do business with a person that is known for being with the story along with each trail of that. Every If I'm I'm in the black, I live in the black. That's why people don't mind doing business with me. That's why people don't mind doing

business with us. We live in the black. I don't care what it is in the black. You do have a great partnership though, something that's kind of unheard of. You know what. That's a that's a very great that you say that. I have great partners in Atlantic Records. And one thing Craig Common said to me when I first got there is we're gonna get it. Wow, We're gonna get it. No matter how long it takes, we're gonna we're gonna get it. And never that, Yeah, we're

gonna We're gonna get it. And no matter how long it text, we're gonna get it. Like we're committed to working with you and building this relationship with you, and we're going to get it. And so you think I got signed there in twenty ten, I don't know. And when we didn't happen until sixteen, we did. We were doing we're doing cool numbers, but we hadn't hit the one. So they really waited six years. They stayed rocking with me, stayed in bed with me for six years until I

got the one. But that's also a testament to the type of person you are. People do business with people who they like, and you know we can, but that's who it is. I mean, you go to the office, you go tap in with people, check on people. This is the part of the business of business that people have to understand is vital. And he makes him he maintains and manages them well. They love him up there. It's not a sour thing when you hear his name door. No, they love him and they love me. They make me

feel comfortable. Sure, but it's like, I just don't. I just I just don't believe in bad energy. Even if even if we're on the down, even if you know, if we're not hitting it off, you know, from a success standpoint, if the numbers aren't crazy, I'm not I'm not blaming this person or that person. Like we're in a partnership. We're a team. So the the scarboard doesn't say, you know, the marketing department loss or you know what I'm saying, or the promotions department loss or you know,

he doesn't say that. It doesn't it doesn't say tank loss. When we get in this room, we did not win. So how can we fix this and make it better so that we win? Like and that I'm a team I'm I'm I'm an athlete. I come from team sports, like and I believe I'm morale and not believe in

everybody feeling good about coming the work. Like when you have a new conversations, you know, with my name on the line, Like you have to understand these people, you know what I'm saying, Like whether it be Radio Um, whether it be pr whether it be all these people who are working on your behalf. Right, they can say your name with with with glee, with a smile, or they can say, oh, yeah, we got this tank thing

that we're doing. Let us know if you've got space for it, right, Or they can say we got this tank thing that absolutely amazing. He's a great guy. You got you have to pay attention or you can get that. So understand how you treat these people that are speaking on your behalf as it as it as it relates to your career, your life. You don't want those people to feel good about you. You Wow, there's a lot of artists that don't understand that. They don't get it.

I've gotten so many gigs and so many opportunities not because I was the biggest artist or the hottest artist at the time, because those people actually like me, because they like the tank coming here. We're gonna have a good time uble we're gonna laugh, we're gonna drink, we're gonna crack jokes, and then he gonna get on the stage and go crazy and and we're gonna have a good He's gonna take all the pictures and we're going to have a good time. And that's part of artists development. Yeah, yeah,

but they don't teach. But it's already money. It's time, money gonna Learnay, definitely gonna learn today. Can I get my deal? Let's talk about this on air. Can I get my deal? Is Za's deal? What is there? So? I'm just getting back to you, back to you what I would like to know about. I would like to know about. Zena has been wanting to do a record deal for I don't know how long. I think Zena is great with hearing music. Zena can hear music. She knows when it ain't right. She knows like when it's

vocally wrong, musically wrong, like she can hear. I don't know how she does it. I don't know how she's able to do that but still be toned dead, you know what I'm saying. So it's like it's like, Babe, go so nice? No, do you have so many other gifts and let's do this on their No no no, I wasn't prepared and I've been drinking Champo. No no, no, no, no, no.

We have asked for this deal on air yet. Okay, so economically, so you know, it's just it's just gonna it's gonna take a little tune, take a little It's gonna take a little tune. That's okay, But I may have to break down and do one record. I can carry that stage with choreography though, I want to hear. Let's just do just give me one because it's gonna go and then we're gonna have creative monster. Ate it a monster. But that's all I want. And I'm gonna

quit everytime. No you're not. You're gonna tas that first thing. You think I'll start chearing. I told you I was like that. Yeah, he was hating all this time. Oh it's gonna get it's gonna get real ugly, and I gotta get that's what you baby sitting kids right there where you're going to work. Get going. We have to get going, going to work. You know what this is? You? I would love that you said you wanted to retire, right, said you was done. I'll be running the beauty business.

It's he'll be in the packing orders. Can you imagine it? Just signed to go guy still still relieve find wrinkles products are say do work, They do work and they are good. The bosto. Um, let's talk about you're gonna do a top five. I love to do a top five. Let's do a top five. Top five? What top five? I'm even gonna say R and B. Let's just say top five. I don't even go artists or you want to go albums stuff. Mhm. I'll start with artists. Top

five artists, top five artists, Jesus, top five artists. I don't want to stick it to R and B. Whatever, everything, Okay, five Marvin Gaye, Okay, we gotta start there. We're gonna start there. Um Reverend John P. King, Okay, I go there, commissioned, I gotta go there. Joy See, I know what Joe five is gonna be, but you don't want it to be. You don't have to say, we know what it is. Jesus saw he's a goner. He's a good That is

so funny. So yeah, I mean it's a top top five because it's a tough top five, because you know, there's Kim barell Um, There's there's Beyonce of course or Beyonce Um, there's Celine dion Um, and there's Aretha Franklin. I just it's I just gave a I just gave a top five that came to my head. I'm saying, what's your next favorite genre of music outside of army whatever? Lenny Kravitz does, whatever you call that, whatever, whatever that is, right does he does? It have a It's a Lenny Kravitz,

It's a Kravt. It's rock, it's it's funk, it's it's worldly like, it's it's everything. Whatever he does, that's my next favorite genre of music. I want to reincarnate and come back with a guitar. You have the hair, and I was going to say leather pants, boots and uh and in a fish fish net tank tok. Think still sexy. I can take that. You want, Gene, He's still sexy. I can take that. Yeah, I can take I can take you. Being Linny Krabing worried to say, let me

take Lenny kravisten. Listen, we sa you have to do Sometimes sometimes you just have to give a pass right because some ballots. You're gonna lose, right, Lenny Crabs, let me get that pants. I'm probably gonna need your woman for the night. You know what. You be careful with that, Okay, at a certain time, just you send her back in one piece and if you want to, and if you want to send her back with a stipend, you can also that if you want. Has a friend name is yeah? Cool?

Every I don't know a few questions. Favorite female R and B artists very tough. Actually, favorite female R and B album better? I mean, you gotta look at your phone. No, no, I want to be clear about about I know whose album is it is? I just want to be clear about. Can we get that little Doo Doo Doo amazing? No, we don't. You're gonna um just say the artists. We

can help you figure it out. We gotta say the album because if you stayed the artists Brandy never say Never, oh period, I'm sorry you like to never say never? Better than Full Moon, Yeah, never say Nevers? Yeah? Is Angel Disguise? That's I mean, that is a great album. But my favorite female R and B album is Brandy Fullmo. Let let me look at Let me look at Fullmo for Memon. The record is one of the greatest records I think ever, just that record, from top to bottom.

They call the tracks tracks on the tracks, but never say never, transmation, never say never is just place. Have you ever? Have you ever missed everything? Put that on, put that on that Oh I love that. I think about it, about it because never say is that Angela Scott. That's that's top to bottom and I love you that's what it's look at. Yeah, baby, Full Moon probably has killed that album. Full Moon probably has my favorite Brandy song, which one when you Touch Me? Oh my god, I

love that song when listen, let me tell you. I don't know what it was, but when that album came out, I used to love to just drive album and being my feelings. I don't care if it was in a good place or a bad place. My feeling you have to say never. In Full Moon I would put up against any females, anyone, anybody. Yeah, me too, that thing, Oh my goodness, every record, every song, every touch me. When I heard that song, I was so. When I

heard that song, I was so, I was it. It took me a while to audit the song because some songs just some songs just messed me up. That's one of the songs that messed me up. It took me. The other the song recently that messed me up. That that that I'm still auditing, still trying to get out of my feelings about It's heart damage. Oh yeah, yeah, anybody shout out to cardiac. Oh my gosh, are you

kidding me? Are you kidding me? That's the song, the original song already itself damaged me, already messed me up. And then they did that h when you touched me? That Now, I'm totally with that. I'm with that answer too, totally totally aligned. Right, I gotta get her on the pod. She's come, She's gonna come, she'll come. Do you know how important she like I'm born and like, do you not how important? Like we have like Brandy. I saw Brandy sing. I introduced Brandy at um at um. What

was the Army Knight? Philip? Philip? I think was the reason we would be? I hosted, I was hosting it. Yeah, she was, And I introduced Brandy and I watched my friends guys while she was singing. I watched him hug each other, Yeah, huddled up together. Men just done watching. I'm saying like this, she was just she was just Brandy. Brandy. Oh she's so good voice like that, change the world runs like that. I mean, she's her runs voice, just

different gifts, different kind of gifts, different kind of gifts. Yeah, what else does hot mess? I was living at Brandy in the conversar radie. I told you to burst. There's one time I did get mad at Brandy in real life. Remember my birthday party in l A. Just going real, don't be real it was It wasn't bad. It was my birthday party in l A. And one of my

really good friends was pregnant. She was at my birthday party and Brandy approached her for being pregnant in the club down and I was like, whoa, she's here to celebrate me. We're just having here with this child. Now, I does that? She crazy? She's on the mother's board. Came to sit her down. She's like, wait, you shouldn't be on here here the Lord. I was like. It was so funny because she was my favorite female R

and B artist. No, I love her. What I'm just saying, I just remember that moment that was so funny to me. Is Mariah Carey R and B two M too. I mean Mariah Carey eventually moved into a more soulful space because there are different you know, there's so many different nuances to R and B and so when you when you say pop, you're just saying music is more popular. But when you're singing about love, singing from the depths of your soul, Yeah, music to me absolutely, just in

a different space. You know what I'm saying, pop was the or the word pop was created so that certain people could take ownership of it. But you know that's a different type of conversation, conversation, different real conversation. But yeah, Mari Carry, Mari Carry is capable of all things, all things absolutely, Marian Oh dirty bastard. She's the only artist that did which she did because she didn't have to did not that she never needed she needs. Yeah, she

needed it. Yeah, there's a she didn't need it, but for her, for her soul, I need to shed. I need to get to that ship I need That's what I really do. That y'all don't know that I do. I can't imagine. I want O dB on. They were like, now, what change that record is? Like, where's locks? Need I need that ship. Yeah, she had to bring in her other side. Then you have to think about this like it only works if we believe her. Sure we did, absolutely,

still do. Absolutely A choice inspired you as far as musically, like vocally. I know you came from the church, but what artists um Shot study Reverend Reverend drop study, commissioned study baby Face, that's study Bryan and Night. I studied R Kelly, I studied You'll to See. And this is all late in the game because I really wasn't able to listen to this stuff. I studied New Edition, I

studied Anything Jimmy Jim and Terry Lewis. Did you know I had to go back and dig in the crates and and and learn all of these things that all that had already passed me by, studied the Late Bolt. You know, I didn't start doing R B music until ninety six. I graduated high school ninety four. So much great R and B before then, so much, and I had to I had to go back and listen and

and and dig into those crates. But I like, I was a student of music of so many dope artists because you know, I wanted to have it all, and so I would sit in my room with my keyboard. Had a p v D p M four. My mother brought it for me, my first synthesizer. I could do tracks on and shout out to your mother, shout out to mom's financing my joint and paying the bill and uh. And I would sit in my room from sun up to sundown. I didn't even know it was nighttime. I

would get up. I would eat breakfast, and then my mom will come in the room. She's like, what are you doing. I was like, I'm just you understoding. She's like, do you know what time it is? I was like, you know, She's like, it's nine o'clock at night. She's like, have you eaven? I was like no, I forgot. I was like a hundred pounds. So I would not I wouldn't even eat. I would be on studying, studying. Timberland was my favorite producer, so I would in my little

nine track sequencer. I would try to reproduce all the songs that Timberland did. I would try to reproduce Eli. I would try to reproduce you know, genuine. I will try to reproduce all of these different things. You know what I'm saying. So I gotta be like Timberland, you know what I'm saying, And I study the craft, study like baby Face was the first R and B artist whose songs I could sing if a girl asked me to sing something, because it was nice songs, you know

what I'm saying. So that's where I kind of first got my little taste of singing R and B music was singing babysitting baby Face songs. You know I'm saying. On the whipp a pill, you know that tender love an you know what I'm saying, Like I could sing tender songs. You say, tender songs work for the church, kid. So you know, I studied so much. I studied all

of it. Like I can tell you. I can tell you how you know, all of those artists I name, I can tell you how they do their thing down to the science and I can and I can tell that crazy that you have a relationship with people's circle, right, Yes, that is that is crazy. Yeah, yeah, that's nuts. I never thought of that. I never. I never thought of that. I never, I never. I never thought of that. That's the beauty in it. Yeah, you're destined to do exactly

what you've done in this world. Profit Todd Hall. When I was um, I used to open for him. You know, I has to come seeing a couple of selections before he would preach. And he prophesied on me one day and he was like, this, this won't be the place where you are called to go out there. I was like, what do you mean? Yeah, so you're called to go out there and be correct prophet. I don't told me that.

And and I don't think anybody in the church at that moment we're got that or we're too excited about that. Definitely not gonna say that. But he's you know, he's one of the realists. He's one of the realists. You know, he's a prophet who I have to honor him as a prophet. But he's one of the realist Niggers I've ever met. Yeah, so that's the second honor, right after the I have to I have to honor him as a prophet first. You know what I'm saying. I can't.

I can't disrespect that realistical. And he told me said, will you will prosper out there? So so many you knew it? Yeah, I mean, of course he knows it. All right, we do it be money. He said, retire, But I don't think as much as I hope to make, we canang lose you. Banker said, we can't lose you if Anita comes in on this case need his Instagram right right? You know Anita comes to the couch and then Nita comes in on the couch. I am going to shout the pool yeah don't but did you have

a good time? Often here we go if you give you all today because it was my first time. But don't don't let me sit here. I would like to see more of the woman aspect and point of view on the Army Money podcast. Just let us know. You know, we're always into giving the people what they want, and to be honest, let's just say women is I personally feel like who RMB is supposed to cater to. So I appreciate you for having so women. Women run this world? Sure,

period point black. So I am honored to have my sister Ms Ditty on the Army Money Podcast and honor to have my beautiful wife in the ads on the Army Money Army Money Podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, um, I'm Tank. This is the Army Money Podcast, the authority on all things r and b I might be retired. We might maybe not that the church and being money