What is Tank's Net Worth?
Tank is an American rhythm & blues singer and songwriter who has a net worth of $5 million. Tank is best known for providing backing vocals for other American R&B artists such as Ginuwine and Aaliyah, as well as his own hit singles, such as the 2007 track "Please Don't Go" – which made its way onto the Billboard Top 100 – and the 2017 track "When We," which became a platinum-certified single.
Early Life
Durrell Artaze Babbs, professionally known as Tank, was born on January 1, 1976, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father was a member of the United States Air Force, and his mother was heavily religious – he credited her with introducing him to church, where he grew an affinity for singing with the church choir. As a child, he moved with his family to Baltimore, Maryland.
Tank attended Crossland High School in Camp Springs, Maryland, where he was known as a multisport athlete, playing for both the football and the basketball teams. Upon graduation, he was offered the opportunity to join a college football team but turned it down to focus on his music career.
Getty
Career Beginnings & Success
After graduating from high school, Tank caught the attention of American singer Ginuwine, who allowed him to sing background vocals for him on his upcoming tour. Tank took the gig, and through the tour met Aaliyah, an American singer and actress, who he began singing background vocals for in 1997.
Tank's debut solo album, "Force of Nature," was released on March 13, 2001. The album had one song that gained moderate notoriety, "Maybe I Deserve," which peaked at 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released. His second album, "One Man," followed on October 28, 2002, and spawned a single of the same name with little success. His third album, "Love, Sex and Pain," was released on May 15, 2007, and the single "Please Don't Go" reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart, the song remained at number one for over six weeks.
Later, in 2007, Tank formed the group TGT with fellow artists Ginuwine and Tyrese Gibson. The group's name consists of the first letter of each of member's stage name. The work of TGT was put on hold for multiple years due to contractual issues as each member had signed with a different record label. The group eventually released its first and only album, "Three Kings," in 2013, after officially signing with Atlantic Records. The album was fairly successful and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart.
On December 14, 2010, Tank released his fourth album, "Now or Never," on which he collaborated with musical artists such as Drake and Chris Brown. The album spawned three popular singles: "I Can't Make You Love Me," "Sex Music, and "Emergency." In the summer of 2012, Tank collaborated with Chris Brown again on his fifth album, "This is How I Feel."
Tank released his sixth album, "Stronger," in August 2014 but warned listeners that it would depart from his usual sound. The album featured a more retro rhythm and blues sound than his previous albums and failed to debut on any music charts. Disappointed by the album's poor performance, Tank announced it would be his last. However, in 2015, he released a mix tape album entitled "If You Were Mine" and, the following year, his seventh studio album, "Love, Sex and Pain II." This album marked his fifth album to debut at number one on the Billboard R&B chart.
Two more albums followed—"Savage" in 2017 and "Elevation" in 2019—before his final album, "R&B Money," was released on August 19, 2022. Although that album performed fairly well, Tank announced that it would be his last as he had sustained hearing loss in 2021, which was hindering his ability to make music.
(Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
Advocacy & Controversy
In 2017, Tank performed several songs at Washington DC's Black Gay Pride event, which garnered him much criticism. However, fans pointed out that it brought awareness to the issue of male R&B artists rarely, if ever, performing at queer-based events. In a 2024 interview with Gay Times Magazine, Tank stated that he was not homosexual but that he had to step away from the conservative, religious ideals he grew up with to be comfortable with himself and others. When asked if his queer alliance compromised his faith, he responded that he "serves the god of all things, not one thing," and went on to explain that he believes that everyone deserves love, regardless of their sexuality.
Accolades
Tank was nominated for four Grammy awards, twice in the "Best R&B Album" category for "Sex, Love and Pain" and his compilation album with TGT, "Three Kings," but received no wins. He was also nominated for Best R&B/Soul Male Artist at the Soul Train Music Awards.
Songwriting and Production
Tank has racked up many songwriting and production credits throughout his career. He is known for writing songs with and for artists such as Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Aaliyah, Pitbull, and Jamie Foxx. He has also contributed to film scores, including that from the 2006 film "Dreamgirls."
Film & Television
Tank has amassed many acting credits in movies such as "Preacher's Kid" in 2010 and "Illicit" in 2020. In the 2017 miniseries "The New Edition Story," he played record production executive Jheryl Busby.
Podcast
Tank and his manager, Johnnie Valentine, host the streaming podcast "R&B Money Podcast," a platform upon which they delve into the history of rhythm and blues and the genre's future through interviews with R&B recording artists, songwriters, and producers. In 2023, the podcast was nominated for an International Music Journalism Award for Best Work of Music Journalism – Multimedia.
Health
In 2021, Tank began to notice that he was losing his hearing in both ears. While his left ear recovered substantially, the hearing in his right ear has been completely lost, and he now suffers from severe vertigo. Tank claimed in a 2022 interview with AP News that he was put on medication to help with the hearing loss but that it "hurt everything else." Tank stated that while he wouldn't release any more albums due to the hearing loss, he would occasionally release individual songs.
Personal Life
Tank and his long-time girlfriend Zena Foster married on July 22, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. Fellow artist and close friend Jamie Foxx served as a groomsman at their wedding. Tank and Zena have two children together, Zion and Zoey, and Tank has three additional children—Ryen, Durrell Jr., and Jordan—from previous relationships. Zion served as the ring bearer at his parents' wedding, and Zoey served as a junior bridesmaid.
Real Estate
In December 2018, Tank paid $2.295 million for a newly constructed 6,000-square-foot home in Tarzana, California. In November 2018, he sold his previous home in nearby Sherman Oaks for $2.2 million.
