Last night (August 18), the party took place at popular West Hollywood nightclub, the Peppermint Club, as hosts Tank and Jamie Foxx welcomed guests including singer-actress LeToya Luckett, producer/ A&R executive Hitmaka and singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger at the R&B Money Jam Show. The one-night-only event – dress code: “black and gold” – celebrated the release of Tank’s 10th and final album R&B Money on Friday (August 19; R&B Money/Atlantic Records).
For some, “final” might be a difficult concept to embrace. However, Tank tells Billboard he “feels good” about the next chapter of his career which was sparked in part by a hearing loss in his right ear in 2021.
“Earlier this year, it was like wow…this is going to be my last album,” says the singer-songwriter-producer from his Los Angeles home’s game room. “But now it’s like, yeah!” It’s because so many other cool and super exciting things are going on between my podcast, finding and working with new artists for my R&B Money label with Atlantic, dedicating time to becoming the actor I want to be, and cultivating… other ideas I have. It’s not just about waiting, auditioning or hoping for a phone call. It’s more about creating my own phone calls and committing to projects that I want to develop, direct and/or produce.
But first of all, the campaign to promote R&B money gets started. Tank, who is due to perform at DJ D-Nice’s Club Quarantine in Las Vegas on September 3, describes the latest album in his 25-year career as “very good me; it channels the sex, love and pain I’m known for. Pointing out that three-quarters of the album is “almost like an uninterrupted sex tape” – in a nod to his R&B influences such as Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, Keith Sweat and Al Green – Tank adds: “The feeling in their music is what inspired me.
Tank wrote or co-wrote all 17 tracks on the album (“How can you beat the number 17, 1 being the beginning and 7 the completion?” he explains). Stands out among the eight tracks he has performed for Billboard are the sultry ‘When You Dance’, the sizzling ‘No Limit’ with Alex Isley, the insightful ‘See Through Love’ with Chris Brown and the moving ‘It’s Nothing’ (her daughter’s favourite). Despite the hearing loss, Tank’s voice and emotive range are still dominant.
Other guests include Rotimi, Vedo, Blaq Tuxedo, TVERSE, Feather and J. Valentine, who appears on the album’s latest single “Slow” – which has peaked at No. 12 so far on the R&B charts. Airplay. Reaching No. 1 on that same count are R&B MoneyThe first two singles from: “Can’t Let It Show” and “I Deserve”.
During his recording career, Tank landed eight albums on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, including five No. 1s. Each of his first eight studio albums also reached the top 20 on the chart. He has listed 15 songs on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, including two top 10 hits (“Maybe I Deserve” in 2001 and “Please Don’t Go” in 2007). Some of his greatest accomplishments are on the Adult R&B Airplay charts. He racked up 23 titles there – with six No. 1s and 12 top hits overall. Tank scored his last top 10 this summer via a featured spot on J Brown’s “Don’t Rush,” which entered the top 10 in July and climbed to No. 7 (so far) in August.
Amid the completion of this latest album, the five-time Grammy nominee and J. Valentine recently launched their R&B money podcast via iHeartMedia and Charlamagne tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network. Debuting with actor/comedian/artist Foxx as its first guest, the weekly podcast shines a light on the history and ongoing cultural influence of R&B through discussions with artists and leaders working in the genre.
Determined to continue his acting career, Tank co-starred in the Lifetime movie Lust: A Tale of Seven Deadly Sins and BET American Gangster Presents: Big Fifty – The Delronda Hood Story with Remy Ma. He remembers being bitten by the virus when he was asked to audition for the role of Effie White’s (Jennifer Hudson) younger brother, CC, in the 2006 film. dream girls. In the end, it was up to him and actor/singer Keith Robinson who ultimately got the role.
“I’ve been acting like a jerk all my life,” Tank laughs. “Now I channel that and put it in the right space. The encouragement I have received since dream girls Jamie’s audition and other acting projects [Foxx] and others means I’m going in the right direction, so I’m going to keep learning and pushing.
And while R&B Money is his latest album, that doesn’t mean Tank won’t be back on stage. He has also done gigs as a stand-up comedian. “I can’t walk away from the stage,” he promises. “Right now, though, I’m just rearranging my priorities.”
