Regardless of what era of Hip Hop you develop in, making a name for yourself isn't easy. Although the culture may change from one generation to the next, getting one's foot in the door can prove difficult in an industry that is looking for a certain "it" factor. Many times, we see deserving talents passed over and it may take some exposure from one of their peers to attain their big break.
On his episode of Drink Champs, R&B veteran Tank took a walk down memory lane as he spoke about working with the late Aaliyah all those years ago. He helped sing background vocals and collaborated on her smooth jam "Come Over."
"Aaliyah told me, 'You're ready,'" said the singer. "You're ready for this sh*t. And like, nothing vali—" It was then that Tank stopped to compose himself as he was overcome with emotion. "Nothing validates you more than a woman. When Aaliyah says 'you're that guy,' that makes all the difference in the world."
In May of last year, Tank caught up with Elle's Song Association and talked about how his addition to "Come Over" came to be.
"The song you hear me on, 'Come Over,' I just happened to walk in the studio that day. We were going to check on baby girl, and she was working with Johnta Austin,” he said. “As soon as I walked in, she said, 'Tank can do it,' Johnta said, 'Tank can do it,' and I was like, 'Tank can do what?'"
Check out the clip from Tank's Drink Champs episode below.