Tank Biography

news-details Only giving up the first throne to Linkin Park's �Minutes to Midnight�, Tank took on the runner up position of Billboard Hot 200 chart with his third effort �Sex, Love & Pain�. The record was sold 103,000 copies in the first week of its release, a number that became his best selling and charting debut to date. Among R&B crooners, on the other hand, the sale number of �Sex, Love & Pain� was recorded the highest and was considered a hot shot after reigning the Billboard R&B chart. This May 15, 2007 release also helped the first single �Please Don't Go� to instantly climb up 22 places to #42 after 11 weeks bubbling under the perimeter 60 in Hot 100 chart. The song has better luck in R&B chart by sitting at #2 even after 29 weeks of circulation. Off his solo career, Tank tries to have a balance by forming a group called TGT with his fellow warriors Tyrese Gibson and Genuwine. For a start, the group will remix Tank's latest hit �Please Don't Go�.

Originally named Durrell Babbs, Tank was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but moved to Clinton, Maryland to spend his childhood. Since a student, he had been an avid sportsman that he almost made it in the college football team. However, by that time he had grown interest in music which he gained from his cousin, Alphonzo Jiles. A choir director in church, Alphonzo often taught him the proper way of singing and therefore helped to shape Tank's talent in the particular field. And thus, Tank chose his music career over the football and there came his first step towards popularity.

Through hard work and determination he landed the job as Genuwine's backing singer and continued to tour with him while learning the 'game'. After that he found himself singing with the late Aaliyah and began to show his 'star quality' which was later noticed by Barry Hankerson. This Hankerson man was none other than the founder of Blackground Record who immediately signed Tank to his label. Hankerson's choice struck 'gold' after Tank's debut album �Force of Nature� was certified gold two months after its release in March 2001. Not wasting any time to sit and wonder what to do next, Tank quickly released sophomore set the next year titled �One Man�. The album entered Hot 200 at #20 but quickly fell off the chart and failed to reprise the success that its predecessor had. Through this second set however, his name was even more sonorous in the midst of new emerging artists at that time. He was still by then, a promising musician.

Learning something from the last album, he took a longer time working on the third one. During this time he started to move in the producer's seat and scored some songs for artists such as Dave Hollister, Marques Houston, Omarion, Jamie Foxx, Donell Jones and Monica. Gaining the partnership with R&B producer duo The Underdogs, he became the one of the most wanted producers at that time. So amazing was his work that he was included in the team making a score titled �Goin' Downtown� for Grammy Award winning movie �Dreamgirls� (2006). Done with his contribution he put concentration on solo career and entered the studio in second half of 2006. The album �Sex, Love & Pain� was ready to be released in 2007.