The Humvee Tank D. Has Come with Guns Loaded to Rescue Hip Hop...

Up and coming rapper, Tank D., hailing from Miami, Florida sat down with me to let me know why he's the life vest that will save our drowning Hip Hop culture. 

SMAG (Rocky): When did you start your music/entertainment career?

Tank D.:  I don't even know how to answer that question...with music, it was when I was younger.  I started writing...I would say I was about 9 years old when I started writing.  As far as recording, I started recording when I was in the 6th grade.

SMAG (Rocky): What was your first song?

Tank D.: The first song that I ever wrote was about a bike I got on my birthday (laughs).

SMAG (Rocky): Wow...

Tank D.: The first song I ever recorded was called "Bring It To Us", it was when I was a part of the group called Untouched.

SMAG (Rocky): Are you still with Untouched?

Tank D.: There's been some member changes.  One of the members of the group passed away a couple years ago.  He was a close friend of mine, his name is Harland, we called him Hundred Grand.  But we're still together, the name of the group now is AO, Army of One.

SMAG (Rocky): So what are your musical influences?

Tank D.: Very different, from a couple of different places.  When I was a shorty, my mom and dad used to always listen to Otis Redding and Sam Cook.  So I used to mimic some of their stuff, change the words to their lyrics and make it my own.  But as far as musical influences, right now, I don't have too many influences because a lot of the stuff that's out now is kind of boring.  A lot of nigga's shit is boring.  Everybody wants to do a dance, have "swag", wear tight jeans, and rock "man purses."  That shit is corny.  But as far as production, I respect Timbaland, I draw a lot of influence from Timbaland.

SMAG (Rocky): Describe your musical style, design, and/or genre.

Tank D.: It's just aggressive.  I would say aggressive, yet entertaining at the same time.  I would go with that.

SMAG (Rocky): Do you have any musical elements for a successful track?  How do you put together a successful record?

Tank D.: It depends on how I feel at the moment.  If I'm feeling down, most likely, I'm just going to write about that.  If I'm going out there doing something that I have no business doing, then I'm going to write about that.

SMAG (Rocky): How did your talents originate?  Was it just one day you woke up and you decided to be a rapper?

Tank D.: No, my big brother, he wanted to be a rapper.  I didn't want to rap, but what he used to do was he would basically beat my ass and make me rap with him.  We used to have two radios, one of the radios used to play the beat and the other one used to record us, and we would freestyle.  And if I didn't freestyle, I was gonna get my ass whooped, so I just started rapping.  Behind his back I started rapping and he heard it and was like, "Damn."

SMAG (Rocky): What elements would you say is missing from the music industry right now, and what does it need?

Tank D.: Me.  Like I told you, a lot of this shit is boring, and I'm tired of seeing these "man purses" and tight ass jeans.  These niggas look like they're about to catch yeast infections.  I'm just being honest, sorry.

SMAG (Rocky): Wow...ok...what sets you a part from EVERY other entertainer?  Not just as a rapper, but as an entertainer, what sets you a part?

Tank D.: I'm not afraid to be myself.  A lot of these dudes follow trends, they're trying to look for the next trends. I'd rather not wait in line, that's why I don't have a Twitter page, I'm not a follower.

SMAG (Rocky): Fabulous.  So, what other things do you bring to the table, other than just being a rapper, how else do you market yourself?

Tank D.: To be honest with you, I don't consider myself a rapper, I consider myself an artist because I also write and produce R&B.  I do engineering, so as far as just being a "rapper", I'm not just a rapper, I consider myself an artist.

SMAG (Rocky): How did you get the name "Tank D."?

Tank D.: Alright, Tank, my grandmother, when I was a baby, she used to call me Tank-A-Boo and people used to hear her call me that and they shortened it up and called me Tank.  Now when I was in the band at Norland [Senior High], because I wasn't the tallest nigga, they started calling me "Duwop."  Then they just started putting it all together and calling me Tank Duwop, then shortened it to Tank D.

SMAG (Rocky): Are you shopping around with any labels, have any labels shown yoiu any interest so far, what's your situation?

Tank D.: Right now...as far as labels, there is a label that is interested right now, but I won't say because I don't wanna jinx myself.  But I've worked with a bunch of labels, but then comes the let downs when the contracts aren't right.  If the money isn't right, gotta go.

SMAG (Rocky): What are you looking for out of a label and do you have your own that you want to start?

Tank D.: As far as what I'm looking for in a label, something fair.

SMAG (Rocky): Ha, we're in the music industry here (laughs).

Tank D.: That's what I'm saying, that's why I just might not get a deal (laughs).  But something fair, I don't want to be that bitch out on the corner selling my ass for you, I'd rather work with you.  As far as starting my own, yes I have a production company that I'm working on called Theme Music. 

SMAG (Rocky): Anything else you want to let the SMAG readers know out there?

Tank D.: I just wanna say Happy Birthday to my daughter, her birthday was August 20th, she'll be 2, shout out to Aijah.  Labels, if you're interested, www.myspace.com/tankduwop.  If you would like to download anything, go to www.datpiff.com and type in "Tank Duwop."  The new promo CD coming out, "I Am Tank D.", first song on there that everyone is really feeling is called "My Baby."  And to my mother, Rest In Peace, I love you.

SMAG (Rocky): Thank you, and I wish you the best, go get 'em.