Source: Bounty Tank / Youtube
HipHopWired got the chance to speak exclusively with
YouTube star Bounty Tank, who is preparing to release his new album
Kick Door University .
The world of reality television has produced quite a few notable stars, and with that in mind, it’s not hard to see how Bounty Tank is the next one up in that progression of fame. The Cleveland, Ohio native is the star of his own YouTube series (recently added to Tubi) which is in its sixth season and has over 780,000 subscribers including paid members in addition to a social media following of over 1 million subscribers. For Bounty Tank aka Franklin Frazier, becoming a bounty hunter was a pivot after attaining a nursing degree from Hampton University which he attended on a football scholarship. His goal to become a U.S. Marshal was put on hold due to hiring freezes, which led him to the world of bounty hunting.
A desire to serve his community and lead with understanding is at the heart of Bounty Tank’s mission, and that energy has led him to dive further into creating music, which is another passion of his. Beginning in 2019, Bounty Tank started to create and release singles, leading to his first album Skeletons being released in 2021. On the verge of his upcoming album, Kick Door University , HipHopWired got the chance to talk extensively with him about his music and his career.
HipHopWired: With your pivot into getting into rap, what was the inspiration for that?
Bounty Tank: Honestly, what planted the seed was – “I got my own show, so why pay someone or pay somebody else for music on the show, when I can do my own?” I’ve always had a passion for music, so it just made sense.
HipHopWired: So with that – when you rhyme, what’s the energy that you like to evoke? Every MC pretty much has their own energy that they want to give off to their fans like for you? How would you define that?
Bounty Tank: I have energy just telling stories about what’s going on in my life. I’m a regular guy. So whatever the vibe is, or the story of the lyrics that I’m talking about, I just like to give. I have a lot of laid-back stuff. I got some songs where I’m just amped up. I mean, it just depends on the vibe of the song. So I think I’m naturally just a laid-back, kind of smooth type of rapper.
HipHopWired: With the album coming out, are we going to get that mixture?
Bounty Tank: The album is called Kick Door University, but the next single coming out, “Mr. Kick Door” is pure energy – I’m talking about “Okay, I need my money”, (laughs) and it’s full energy. It’ll be a mixture. There’ll be some smooth songs on there too.
HipHopWired: Pivoting back to the show – how’s the feedback been from fans who’ve stuck with you starting the show, seeing you evolve into this artist, in addition to being in the bounty hunter profession, how’s that feedback been?
Bounty Tank: Everybody’s excited. Everyone’s happy to be back. I’ve been gone for six months filming. So everyone’s excited man, they’re loving it. I mean, they like the excitement that the show brings, they like the music, and the energy coming with it. So yeah, it’s a good feedback. It’s crazy.
HipHopWired: One thing that I got from just getting the chance to watch some of the show -the one thing that stands forth is you pretty much being that presence of a guiding light. You’re doing it in a way that most people who have their own preconceptions of being a bounty hunter have them shattered. That is amazing to see. Is it challenging at times to keep that consistent?
Bounty Tank: No, that’s just embedded in me. At the core, I just like to help people so it’s not hard. You know, the people that receive it, they’ll get it and the people that don’t receive it, they just don’t get it. But I’ve always had that door open and lane open. So that’s easy for me because that’s just it’s me, it’s my core.
HipHopWired: And you’ve gotten some great feedback already from like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre giving you a shout-out. Has there been anybody else, you know, from the rap world that’s been giving you the green light, like, “keep going”?
Bounty Tank: It’s a lot of people that watch the show, man…Justina Valentine. she rocks with the show, man. Nick Cannon. There’s a ton of people. I was talking to DJ Drama a couple of months ago, he was on tour and he was watching the show, man. So it’s a lot of people tapped in.
HipHopWired: So, what are your go-to songs, aside from your music, what are your go-to Hip-Hop tracks? Something like, “I need to get my day started or maybe I want to wind down a little bit?”
Bounty Tank: Man, it depends on the vibe, what I’m doing. If I’m on some therapeutic, trying to chill and get my mind right, I’m going to listen to some J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar…it depends on the vibe and really what I have going on to get my day started. Just to get pumped up, man, I might throw some Lil Wayne. The Carter .
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