I’ve been waiting on Tank to blow up, word to Tone.

With tracks under his belt like “Maybe I Deserve,” “One Man” and “Slowly,” he should’ve been @ the top of the adult R&B dude food chain.

But it hasn’t happened yet.

So earlier this spring, when I heard he had a new track floating around, I was charged to hear it for myself. After emailing countless people, including NeoSouljah (whatchuknowaboutthat?), I finally got my hands on it and my ears were pleased. After hearing “Please Don’t Go” I knew immediately “Ol’boy bout to rock aggins this summer!” Radio proceeded to catch on and @ this point, the lead single has been branded into our collective eardrums, which is okay with a deserving artist. So when the label sent me the new CD, Sex, Love & Pain, to review, it was eager for the task of writing about it.

But I failed because I’ve decided I can’t do it.

Only because I can’t get past the first track.

Let the record show that “The Coldest” does more than most cats do with their whole album. Unofficially, it’s three songs, including an intro, capsuled and titled as one. The unofficial intro should’ve been seperated as simply because it’s Tank @ his best. Over a crescendo rise and fall, he sings with an energy to his voice that’s only paralleled by a few others in the game. The second part of the song, which would be “The Coldest”, is a more uptempo sound with Tank trying to fly talk a lady who he’s deemed the most attractive in the nightspot. The latter third part of the song is has an almost slurred, last call for alcohol feel to it as Tank laments to seemingly himself, his glass and maybe the bartender about the same female. All in all, it’s six minutes that’s a full sample of how powerful a singer and polished an artist Tank is.

So sorry record label lady, I can’t review the whole thing….because I’m stuck on track one. But I can honestly, after hearing others comment on it as well, that I expect nothing less than excellent material, having always followed his music and knowing his track record. They’ve just never recieved the sales & acclaim they should have.

Hopefully that won’t be the case with Sex, Love & Pain.

Tank – “The Coldest”

Sex, Love & Pain is out in stores now. Runcopthat.

For more info, visit www.myspace.com/get2knowtank.

6.04.07…It’s Coming. Respect Our Fresh

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