Tank Talks Hosting The 'Awesome' 5th Annual Urban One Honors

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The 5th annual Urban One Honors will celebrate top-tier cultural icons, and we’ve got exclusive details on what went down.

Source: Getty Images for Urban One Honors / Getty

As previously reported this year’s awards dubbed the “Urban One Honors: Icons of the Culture”, will air TONIGHT at 7:00 PM ET/6 PM CT on TV One and CLEO TV and highlight impactful impresarios who’ve made outstanding strides in media, music, education, the arts, and our community.

This year’s esteemed honorees are LL Cool J, Entertainment Icon;

Bobby Brown, Phoenix;

Pharrell Williams, Music Innovation;

David & Tamela Mann, Inspirational Impact;

and, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Lifetime Achievement.

The show opens with legends gracing the stage with an iconic tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and the star-studded evening is hosted by chart-topping singer/songwriter Tank.

During the big night, Tank walked the purple carpet alongside his wife Zena Foster…

Source: Getty Images for Urban One Honors / Getty

and he also gave BOSSIP exclusive details on what viewers can expect when they tune in.

“I’m excited to see all of our honorees,” said Tank while noting that the show’s also celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop. “We also are dabbling in the gospel space, the political space, it’s going to be an awesome show and I will be your narrator.”

In traditional BOSSIP fashion, we also asked him and his wife to give us a headline to commemorate Tank’s time as host of this year’s ceremony.

“I’m gonna say Sexy Tank…,” said Zena while her husband looked on with a smile.

“The Silly and Sexy Tank is Going To Be Hosting The Urban One Honors,” said Tank. “Holla at ya boy!”

Later, we asked the singer/songwriter to reflect on the first time he heard one of his songs played on the radio, considering that the Urban One Honors are presented by our parent company owned by the marvelous media maven Ms. Cathy Hughes.

Source: Getty Images for Urban One Honors / Getty

“I remember hearing “Maybe I Deserve” on the radio while in a van traveling through the bible belt with my band, the backup singers, the whole crew. We were in a van going city to city and I’m in the very back of the van and it comes on…everyone turns around and looks at me and says; “It’s on the radio!'” One of the best moments ever, it just started from there. That was the year 2000 and here we are [today].”

Source: Getty Images for Urban One Honors / Getty

Speaking of Hughes, this year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree Maxine Waters made sure to give Hughes her flowers ahead of the big show.

Source: Getty Images for Urban One Honors / Getty

“I’m very excited to be here and really honored to have been chosen for this lifetime achievement award,” said Waters to BOSSIP. “It doesn’t get any better than this. Of course, we get recognized here and there but nothing like this—this is the big one.”

She continued,

“I’m here to not only receive this award but I wanna make a tribute to Cathy Hughes who created all of this. She’s a brilliant, successful woman, an icon who shows us how to achieve success. She’s done all of that, so thank you, Cathy Hughes!”

Well said, Auntie Maxine!