Philadelphia rapper Lay Bankz has been buzzing around on the independent scene for a couple of years now, but it’s starting to feel like that buzz is about to reach critical mass. At 19 years old, she’s already collected a handful of viral hits, including “Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick),” “Na Na Na,” and “Ick,” with the latter generating a quarter of a million fan videos in seven months (which translated to nearly 3 million streams on YouTube and over 66 million on Spotify). The Philly native has been rapping since 10 years old, and signed to Artist Partner Group in 2022.
With features on Kyle’s Smyle Again (“Woah”) and Lambo4oe’s Self Esteem Pack remix EP this year, Bankz’s fan base is sure to expand and diversify, with her winning humor already appealing to audiences outside of the Philadelphia TikTok bubble. Add in her adept performance at Rolling Loud California in Los Angeles last month, and you’ve got a recipe for an impending glow-up. Her latest single “Tell Ur Girlfriend” is breaking out of the TikTok bubble and invading other platforms at a pace that suggests such a breakout is right around the corner.
You can check out Bankz’s “Na Na Na,” “Ick,” and “Tell Ur Girlfriend” below.
