When we last caught up with Wes Tank, the Milwaukee musician, producer, actor, and videographer had just gone viral by rapping Dr. Seuss books over beats made by Dr. Dre. In the months since Tank garnered millions of YouTube views, earned oodles of press from renowned publications and was interviewed about his videos by TV programs all around the world, he was keeping busy by quietly planning his next artistic endeavor.
Yesterday, Tank announced his new StoryRaps series. The new venture will have episodes streamed on Kidoodle.TV. Much like his Dre/Seuss videos, StoryRaps features the affable emcee turning time-tested children’s stories into bonafide rap bangers. Unlike the Dre/Seuss videos, Tank’s StoryRaps won’t be subject to copyright claims. Instead, Tank will spit bars over public domain fairy tales, and he’ll use beats as well as illustrations and production assistance from local talent. Some of the Milwaukee creatives involved include co-producer Kurt Ravenwood, filmmakers Carol Brandt and Ryan Sarnowski, musicians Josh Evert and Sean Behling, and designer Lydia Ravenwood.
“Even though the format is the same, it’s a totally different animal. With the Seuss videos, the book is already written and illustrated, and the music is there,” Kurt Ravenwood says in a press release. “Making that all from scratch, on a deadline, was going to be a new challenge. But luckily the Milwaukee artistic community is bursting with talent.”
The final product is something that can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. StoryRaps premiered yesterday on the Kidoodle.TV app. To watch the show, download Kidoodle from your favorite app store or smart TV. Or you can watch a series preview and the first installment below.