We talk with [@TheRealTank] on his brand new album “Savage”

RnB lovers, this one’s for you!

RnB sensation Tank is back with a hot and heavy 11 track album full of heat, passion and soul. Everything and more with what we expect from him.  GUAP got the chance to have an exclusive chat with the man himself all the way from the states. We talk, the state of RnB, TGT and possibly coming over to the UK for Valentines day!

For a lot of us, the single savage was probably a different vibe than we’re used to from you, what inspired the track and direction?

TANK You know its like when we found all these great moments on Sex Love and Pain 2  all of those aggressive moments, like everyone loved them; especially in concert, the energy would be up. For at least from my side of RnB it hasn’t been that. Artist still do the more heartfelt and more sensual and sexual side of RnB. Like we don’t have that and so I was like, I think we’ve got something. It wasn’t us trying to be something we’re not it was just us allowing our natural evolution to be shown and showcased. I around all these dope artists and producers the young ones and the old ones, and you grow and you learn. You get into all the new sonics and melody and all these different things.

So it was like lets just go with where we are, and who we’ve evolved into, lets just 100% unapologetic, lets just be savages.

With RnB I feel like you are always be talking to a woman or about a woman, thats just my thing, thats just my rule. We kept it there, if we’re gonna fight for the love, we’re gonna do it like savages.

 

We’ve heard you talk about the climate of RnB and the sort of decline in “real” RnB. What are your thoughts of where music right now and who are you listening to?

TANK  Well, there are 2 ways of looking at that. Rnb is personal. Everybody’s RnB is not the same because everyone’s experiences are not the same. Before there was social media and all these things you could take your time. You could take your time with everything. With all the push button connections, everything moves so much faster, you have no time. You don’t have time to build love, to build a real relationship, you don’t have time to build a real record. We’ve just been victims of society progressing.

So where you used to be able to take ballad; a slow song about love and it would be #1 on the hot 100, you can’t the climate has changed. Its not necessarily a decline because people are still doing it; it’s just not mainstream. It seems like we’re more underground or on the urban radios, we’re just not mainstream anymore. We’re not on the front of the magazine covers. We’re not on the late night talk shows and getting the big gigs to promote our music. A lot of artists don’t know how to compete in this new space. They’re staying consistent to who they are but there’s no platform for it.

There is a platform for the new RnB; for the Trap Soul and all these other things that are so hip hop and fluent and thats still RnB. thats someone’s blues. What Bryson Tiller sings about, thats his blues. Whatever he went through he’s putting that in his music and that his expression of it. It’s unfair to say he’s not singing RnB because his RnB is different from the RnB that Al Green sang or different from the RnB thats I sang earlier on in my career. and for me I think who can I bridge the gap. How do I bring my classic message into this current space.

Savage is the RnB that I’m experiencing right now, this is my blues.

And are there any plans to bring the Savage tour to the UK and Europe?

TANK YES! I want to bring it! I want to bring it bad! I want to be in the UK. I want to be in the Hammersmith Apollo, February 14th 2018. I want to be there!

Can we expect a TGT reunion anytime soon?

TANK No. not happening. Its not gonna happen, I wish it was because the culture needs it but its gotta be for the right reasons. If it’s not for the right reasons, I can’t be involved. TGT is a labour of love and if it doesn’t start with the love, then we’re in it for the wrong reason.

So what more can we expect from you?

I working on my label and my new artist Jordan Morris who is actually from the UK. We’re getting him right. phenomenal artist. we’re getting ready to shake up the game.

Listen to Tank’s new album Savage down below.