As of today, three of Tank's most beloved albums -- 2001’s Force of Nature, 2002’s One Man, and 2007’s Sex, Love & Pain -- have officially been added to streaming platforms for the first time. It should be noted that rights to the project belong to Blackground Records, the label that notoriously held onto Aaliyah's entire catalog up until recently.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Tank opened up about how the transition to DSPs has left him with a "bittersweet" feeling. "It’s bitter because I’ve missed out on 10 years’ worth of revenue, 10 years’ worth of discovery," he admits, before shifting perspectives. "Now people will know I was an artist that existed before 2010. I go back — and there’s music to prove it.”
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While Tank's comments about his existence are clearly exaggerated, it's still a pointed remark on how younger audiences who have grown up during the streaming era might find themselves limited through behind-the-scenes circumstances. Of course, Tank's many loyal fans likely found ways to keep his music on rotation, though it's entirely possible that many of his classic cuts were streamed through unofficial sources.
If you're feeling nostalgic, be sure to go and revisit Force of Nature, One Man, and Sex, Love & Pain on whatever streaming platform you favor. You likely won't be alone. Once upon a time, Tank's output was moving heavy on the Billboard charts, with Force Of Nature debuting at #7, and the Grammy-nominated Sex, Love & Pain debuting at #2. Congratulations to Tank for this milestone, bittersweet though it may feel right now.
Do you have any love for Tank's early output?