Stop Sign Tandy

Out of the streets of Hopkinsville Kentucky comes Hell and Back Ent. Artist Tan-D aka Stop Sign Tandy or just Mr. Guerrilla Grind. Tan-D (government name Erick Tandy) has been rapping since the age of 13. Not even group home placements to eventually doing time in the penitentiary, could keep Tan-D from his first two loves, the streets and Rap music. Tan-D describes himself as a story teller and lists such greats as Slick Rick and Tupac as his early influences. “I began by writing stories about all the things I was going through as a kid. I remember being about three years old and my moms pushing me in a grocery cart in the lines to get the government cheese and shit like that. I remember being cold, and having to wear used clothes whether they fit or not. I had fight everyday as a kid because my mom wanted to keep me out of the streets and niggaz wanted to force my allegiance to them. Teachers couldn’t get me to do vocabulary words but I would write a five page story when they only asked for two pages because I had all of this shit pent up that I had to release. I got into rap around age 13 the same time I got caught up in the streets. I hooked up with niggaz that hated the same niggaz that I grew up fighting and hating. By time I was 14 I was sent off for truancy and being beyond my parents control. I was in a group home when I earned a scholarship to play football at U of L. I lasted about a year but I couldn’t shake my love for the streets. I guess it’s kind of fucked up that the one thing my mom tried to keep from became the thing I had the most love for. Within six months of leaving school, I caught my first robbery charge. Two years after that I was in the pen for assaulting a police officer, possession of a handgun by a felon, resisting arrest and being a persistent felon. I served 18 months of a 10 year sentence. Then in December 2009 I got locked back up for violating my parole on an 8 year probated trafficking charge. Now after serving twenty more months I’m really ready grind in the rap game. I’ve recorded with my boy Vito Banga from Nappy Roots as well as Starlito and Yung Texxus. I’ve open shows for Plies, Slim Thug, Webbie, The Ying Yang Twinz and Juvie. I call my rap style The Truth because what I rap about is real life shit that I’ve been through and still going through I talk about shit that is happening to me from bricks across borders to the loss of friends to the streets to obstacles to changing my life.” His latest mixtape, Tax free 2, is a with fellow Kentucky Natives and Kyng of da Beatz producers Ryan (J-Melody) Solomon and Ralph (Mamaz Boy) Mumford along with DJ SLIkk the mixtape iron man. The project also features a track by Tennessee native I.R. Skillz. Tan-D states “Every track will be a keeper. When you put in a Stop Sign Tandy project, you want have to worry about the skip button because every single track will bang lyrically and sonically. Others talk about being real but I’m certified. Like I said before every Tan-D track will be that Banga. I only deal with the A-1 product from the streets to the studio

Started rapping at 13, been dropping mixtapes every since

Tupac, Slick Rick, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Outkast, Geto Boyz, Three 6 Mafia