Tank, born Durrell Babbs, but known by some as Mr. Sex, Love & Pain, is a chronic workaholic. When not working on other artists’ material—he’s written for the likes of Aaliyah, Brian McKnight, Fantasia, Jamie Foxx, Keri Hilson, and Chris Brown—he’s collaborating and putting the finishing touches on his own projects. In 2006, before focusing solely on his third album Sex, Love & Pain, Tank contributed to the Oscar-nominated Dreamgirls soundtrack. Now he’s readying his fourth album, Now or Never, due Dec. 14—a project he promises represents everything he’s learned throughout the years.

While the talented Milwaukee native sings about sex and the ins and outs of tumultuous love affairs, there’s another side that fans barely see. Tank is extremely paternal, you hear it when he reminisces about working alongside Aaliyah, his reaction to Fantasia’s heartbreaking suicide attempt, and when he speaks about his own four children. Rap-Up.com snuck some of the singer’s precious time to get his candid responses on all this plus his respect for Chris Brown and dream collaboration with one unlikely pop vocalist.