The Tan-D Exclusive Interview (AMAZING Life Story - GREAT Interview)

[Lunatic]

http://raptalk.net/website/content/view/1522/54/

Raptalk.Net hooked up with one of Kentucky's finest up and coming stars. With such a small town, you will be amazed to read the interesting story that is Tan-D. With 20 years prison time on the line and all the evidence needed stacked against him, it is a miracle that Tan-D is a free man. Read all about his crime and upbringing, including brutally running the streets all the way to a failed football scholarship.

That is where music eventually comes in, our beloved art form that you can say has saved the life and secured a better life for Tan-D.

Enjoy...

 

Tan-D MySpace: www.myspace.com/hellandbackent

 

Justin: We’re right here with Tan-D coming straight up out of Kentucky! How you doing brother?

Tan-D: I’m doing alright.

Justin: That’s good to hear! Start us off by letting everybody know how it was like growing up in Kentucky?

Tan-D: Kentucky, there is a lot of space down here. It is somewhat slow at times, but before you know, things just speed up. For me, I was bored growing up because we didn’t have shit. We didn’t have anything. We had to go to the government cheese line to get government cheese, vegetables and beans. We would get Peanut butter in cans and shit like that. Mamma had a little job doing what she could do. She kept clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet. We didn’t have the best of things.

For the most part, it’s not as country as people think.  I’m pretty sure if you’ve never been here when you think about Kentucky, you think country music, cowboy hats. But if you come down here, you’d be surprised. There are a lot of black people in Hopkinsville; it’s about 60% black. It’s kind of like a small big city. Shit moves along real fast down here.

As far as me growing up in Kentucky, there was a lot of good and a lot of bad. I wouldn’t take anything back. It was hard to keep me out of the streets because money was the root. I was trying to get the clothes and shoes everybody else was wearing and the fastest way to get it was for me to get out in the streets and hustle for it. That’s what I ended up having to do. My mother didn’t want me out there, so she sent me off at an early age. Everybody else’s mamma didn’t care; they let them do whatever they wanted to do and never called the police on them. My momma called the police; she was trying to keep me out the streets. I ended up getting sent off at an early age.

I relied on sports. I played Football and ended up getting a Football scholarship. I wasn’t doing it for me; I was doing it for her. I wanted my mom and my stepfather to be proud of me. When push came to shove it didn’t work out because whatever your doing, if your doing it for somebody else, it isn’t gonna’ work. You have to do it for yourself and get comfortable with it yourself in order for it to work.

I flunked out first year and came back to Hopkinsville in Kentucky. I did what I wanted to do which was jump back into the streets. It didn’t go like I thought it was going to go. I found myself right back in the streets. I started robbing people, I caught a robbery charge. I learned my lesson from that because I barely missed a 20-year sentence. I got lucky that the judge wasn’t there. The judge that was trying to get me on that wasn’t there. They had a fill-in judge, he offered me some probation, and I took the probation. I left the robbing shit alone and started hustling, selling dope or whatever I had to do to get me some money.

I moved to Savannah, Georgia with that probation because I knew it was going to be hard for me to make it in Hopkinsville, Kentucky because it’s small – maybe 50-60,000 people. Everybody knows everybody and they all knew me from being in the streets and doing this and that. I wanted to go somewhere where I could have a fresh start. I wanted people to see me, not the robberies or the disrespectful person that I was when I was growing up around here. That helped me get through my probation, the first two years.

When I came back and they put on me un-supervised probation, it got fucked up again on some more shit. I was a felon with a firearm and assaulted a police officer and went back to the penitentiary.

When I got out that time is when I started focusing on this music. That’s what I really wanted to do; this music and I couldn’t do it locked up. I eased off a little bit but I still had the grind, I still had to get money. There’s just something about me, I guess I don’t wanna’ work, I can’t see myself. I don’t wanna’ be working in somebody’s factory, I see people working in these factories all my life for 20-30 years and then when it all boils down, the factory shuts down and they don’t have anything. I can’t see myself like that, people getting arthritis from running the machine. Nah, I didn’t wanna’ do that. I’m not gonna’ be broke so I just figured I rather be in the penitentiary than be broke. I gotta’ take care of my kids either way.

To sum all that up, my experience growing up in Kentucky was kind of rough and raw a lot of the times. But I had some people in my life that showed me the right thing to do. They showed me the light on the other side of the tracks. It wasn’t all rough and raw. I had to make a choice of which way I wanted to go with it.

Justin: That’s a great story there about what life was like growing up in Kentucky and you already answered my next question regarding when you fell in love with Hip-Hop. What I’m going to ask you is how old were you when you realized you had the skills to make music as a living?

Tan-D:  I was 13 when I started seriously writing songs. I didn’t have a clue how to go into the studio or how to get to the studio and lay it down, I was just writing songs. I didn’t know how to get any money out it. When I get out the penitentiary, I was 20-22 years old. I did a lot of reading on the industry and how it works while I was in there. That’s when I realized how I could get some money out of this if I just surround myself with the right team.

Justin: Ok. You talked about just missing 20 years in a case you were battling. Why do you think the judge made that decision to let you off with probation?

Tan-D: Because he probably looked at my case and saw, I had never been in trouble before. That was my first case, armed robbery. They had all the evidence stacked up against me. My first cousin was on the stand pointing the finger saying I did it. They had the people that got robbed identifying me. All the evidence was there. They had the gun and even the guy that was on the case, he was already in the penitentiary with 10 years because he took the first plea. I didn’t take the first plea because I was fighting it out to see what was gonna’ happen.

I didn’t think my cousin was going to do that. He railroad me and the affiliate judge, I think they brought him out of retirement for that case or something. He was probably looking at my PSI and saw I just got out of College; I was still young and had never been in trouble before. He was looking like “they finna’ railroad this man.” It was my trail and he said “Son, I’m going to give you one more chance to take a plea.” He wanted me to take five years probation and that’s what I was telling the other judge the whole time – I told him I’d take five years probation. So that judge dropped it to facilitation and gave me five years probation. I think he saw that they were going to railroad me and my life was going to be down the drain for that one mistake. He gave me another chance.

Justin: That’s a beautiful story right there. Thanks for the in-depth information on your background; we’re going to get into the music side of things now. Tell us about your mixtape “Tax Free” that you have out right now.

Tan-D: “Tax Free” I feel is one of the best mixtapes out right now. It’s so versatile. I didn’t jack beats. It’s a mixtape, but there’s no jacked beats. Kyng of The Beats did all of the beats, every single beat on there. From the beginning to end, it’s like a rollercoaster ride. Every track is different. One track is gangsta, the next track might be talking about some females, another track might take you to the club, and another track might take you to church. There’s something on there for everybody – your momma, your grandmamma, your auntie, your cousin, your uncle, your brother – there’s something on there for everybody.

You have DJ Dutty Laundry who mixed it up from Senate DJ’s; he mixed it up for me. He’s a pretty prolific DJ. He’s the one who broke Gucci Mane and [OJ Da] Juiceman. I have All-Star [Of Cash Money Records] on the second track titled, “Gorilla Grind.” Big V from Nappy Roots is on a couple of tracks. I also have a couple of cats from my label on there such as Macknezi and Zardi is also featured on there.

We’re 15,000 units in the streets right now and that’s just scraping the surface. It’s getting a major response from DJ’s all over the nation.  Check us out online at, www.myspace.com/hellandbackent

Justin: You mentioned having All-Star on there, how did you get with All-Star? He’s signed to Cash Money Records at this time.

Tan-D: I hooked up with All-Star through my manager. He had a mutual friend, Patrick [manager] and All-Star had a mutual friend. That’s how that went. He called his friend and told him he really wanted [All] Star to get on this track. We developed it from there. He [All-Star] got down here and heard the song and loved it. He did his thing on the track.

Justin: That’s love right there. To build on that, you also hooked up with Big V of the Nappy Roots. Tell us about that experience seeing as you’re from Kentucky and the Nappy Roots are probably the biggest thing Kentucky has produced in terms of Hip-Hop.

Tan-D:  Big V is from Bowling Green, Kentucky. That is where my manager lives. He just set up a meeting with him and they talked. He [manager] called me up like, “I’m on the way to the studio with Big V, let’s do a track.” They came down and we broke a little bread and did that “Keep it 100” track.

 

Listen to "Keep it 100" featuring Big V of The Nappy Roots Here:

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6141/title.tan-d-vito-banga-nappy-roots-keep-it-100

 

He got in the studio and saw what we were doing. It was a little more than what he thought he was coming into. Once he came in and saw we had everything together, beats already founded and industry, the sound of the studio was the sound of the industry, the manager was in place and the things were already there. He [Big V] wanted to be more involved.

 

We sat down and did ten songs in two days. He kind of took me under his wing and told me a lot about the do’s and don’ts of the industry. He turned me onto a publicist and a photographer, people like that. He was mentoring me through certain things. He kept us from running around in circles and got us on the right path. He gave us some insight to use, not in a demanding way, but by just letting us know the way to do things. I gotta’ say it’s been a good experience with Big V. I haven’t met the rest of the Nappy Roots, but Big V is a real guy, a good guy and that’s my dude.  The song was a Hiphopdx Exclusive…

 

Justin: That’s a beautiful thing. Tell us about your independent label, Hell and Back Entertainment.

 

Tan-D:  First of all, I named Hell and Back Ent., because that’s where I feel like I’ve been in my lifetime. I’ve been as low as I can go and I done been as high as I can go. Now, I’m back here (laughs). I feel like I done been to hell and back. I done lost countless amounts of friends to the streets and the penitentiary, whether it is federal or state. I done lost seven friends to death in the streets just by way of the gun. I have to be blessed because it always seems like it goes down all around me but it doesn’t ever get me. I must be blessed and here for a reason.

 

We started that label about four years ago with a mixtape. What were planning to do with Hell and Back Ent., is to keep it independent instead of just submitting to a major label. We’re gonna’ keep it independent so we could have total control so I could keep that sound that I want without having to answer to anybody. I feel that’s a major thing that I have to have. I need to have my own sound. I gotta’ be able to say what I want. I gotta’ be able to get my own point across. If I’m not doing that then I’m not doing Hell and Back.  Mae sure you visit us at, www.myspace.com/hellandbackent

 

Justin: To build on that, how did you hook up with Hoopla/LRT/Fontana/Universal for the distribution for your upcoming full-length album?

 

Tan-D: Big V. [Big] V hooked us up with a publicist who said “guess what? Universal approached me about doing distribution.” At the time, we were talking to Nappy Roots Music about coming out through Nappy Roots who already had a deal with Fontana/Universal and we looked at KOCH and a couple of other independent distributors. We figured we could do this ourselves. We asked about the percentage and we talked about that, it was a no-brainer decision to get with a person who already knew us, knew what we were about and knew what we were trying to do and allowed us to move forward.

 

Originally, it does come from Big V because if [Big] V hadn’t hooked us up with the publicist, we’d still probably be searching or in the negotiating process with some people. He put us with the publicist and that opened the doors for Fontana/Universal.

 

Justin: That’s great to hear. Does the album have a title or tentative release date at this time?

 

Tan-D: The title is “Gorilla Grind.” The release date is 09-09-09.

 

Justin: September 9th of this year?

 

Tan-D:  Yeah!

 

Justin: Has a single been picked out and are you shooting a music video anytime soon? Or is it too early for that?

 

Tan-D:  The first single will either be Gorilla Grind, which features All Star, or We hustle, We Grind.  We will be shooting a video. We’re actually shooting the first part to the video on May 16th. We have a family day, pizza in the park family day. We’re going to set the backyard bounces out and BBQ some hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids. 101.1 The Beat [radio station] is going to come down and do a live broadcast in the park that day. We will have the camera’s rolling and that’ll be the jump-off.

 

We’re gonna’ have an after party and shoot the second part of the video. One thing about Hopkinsville, Kentucky is that there is a lot of crime and poverty for a city in size. There’s not a lot of opportunity here, especially being an African-American from here. There are not a lot of positive role models for us out here. I remember one or maybe two when I grew up.

 

One thing we’re trying to do with Hell and Back and everything else that we’re doing is being true to ourselves because I have a life story to tell. We’re gonna’ use the story in a way to accommodate in a way for someone else to realize that they don’t necessarily have to go that route, selling dope. We want the kids to sit there and say “I wanna’ do this but I need money, but you know what? Damn, Tan-D made it so I can make it.”

 

One way we’re kicking that off in conjunction with this video is to do that family day in the park. We’re doing at a park here in our town that sits on the divide line between two sides: the red side and the blue side. What we’re trying to do is bring those kids together and say “It isn’t about this color or that color; it’s about pursuing your dreams and doing it the right way.” There’s been known to be a lot of violence around that area and we’re trying to change that.

 

Justin: That’s a very positive move you’re making. You mentioned All-Star is on the first single for the album, which other guests did, you work with? What kind of production can we expect on there?

 

Tan-D:  All the production was done by Kyng of da Beatz producers Ryan (J-Melody) Solomon and Ralph (Mamaz Boy) Mumford.  All-Star and Big V are on the album. I have a couple of artists off the label that’ll be on there. We’re also working on a song feature with Slim Thug, and possibly Yo’ Gotti.

 

Justin: That’s a good look right there and we wish you the best of luck with the album. The album is not out yet and you’re still a young artist. If we could grant Tan-D one music related wish, what would you wish for?

 

Tan-D:  I would wish for a million dollar signing bonus. I need that (laughs). That’s what it’s all about. We’re trying to get this money. I feel like my music doesn’t need help, they’re gonna’ keep blessing me with these tracks and I’m gonna’ keep blessing these tracks with real lyrics. Everybody has real lyrics; everybody has a story to tell. Everybody done sold this, everybody has this amount of money and these cars, and everybody is basically saying the same thing. It’s the delivery that’s gonna’ set me apart. Nobody has delivered like I’m going to deliver. Nobody is going to tell the story coming from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. It’s right here on the Tennessee border. It’s the top of the south but we have that southern swag and that’s what I’m bringing to the table.

 

I’m wishing for success but I know if I had that million dollar-signing bonus, success would be inevitable (laughs). That would give us that promotion money that we need to push us over the top.

 

Justin: That does it for my questions Tan-D; I want to thank you for your time and allowing us to tell your story. I wish you the best of luck with the album and will certainly be in touch. Do you have any last words or additional statements for the interview before I let you go?

 

 Tan-D:  Tell the nation to get ready. Tan-D is coming with Hell and Back Ent. Kyng of da Beatz, we’re coming through. Don’t try and hate on us. Don’t talk down on us because we’re from Kentucky because were not hearing it. We’re gonna’ stay focused on our path and get the job done. I appreciate you man.  Keep up with me on www.myspace.com/hellandbackent