Who is rapper Erica Banks?

ERICA Banks rose to fame when her first track Buss It went viral on TikTok.

She has since surged in popularity, having self-released her mixtapes Art of the Hustle, Pressure, and Cocky on Purpose in 2019.

2

Who is Erica Banks?

Erica Banks, real name Erica Breaux, is a 23-year-old rapper from DeSota, Texas.

She began performing her music in high school and continued to perform while attending college as a nursing student at A& Commerce.

Banks performed at local nightclubs and strove to network with DJs to help popularize their music.

Speaking about working with DJs and self-promotion at the Grammy Awards, Banks said, “It was about introducing myself. I had business cards with my picture on them and my Instagram on them. I would say, ‘I’m Erica Banks and I make music, I want to send you my songs.’

“The DJs were always very nice and played my stuff, but sometimes they already knew who I was. I just had to be loud.”

She continued, “Over time I realized I was more social and outspoken about who I was and helping people get to know me. Who I started spreading by word of mouth just by talking to DJs.”

In her sophomore year in 2017, Banks dropped out of school to focus on her music career.

She released her first single, Talk My Shit, on SoundCloud in 2018 before releasing her three mixtapes.

In 2020, Banks signed with Warner Records and 1501 Certified, saying the company had the right “vibe” she was looking for.

She said she’s been approached by other record companies, but none have approached her as much as Warner.

Banks said she’s noticed 1501 CEO Carl Crawford giving feedback on artists who have posted their music on Instagram Live.

At this point, Banks said she decided to try the same tactic and performed her song Buss It.

Banks said: “[Crawford] loved the song and finally hit me up a few days later and asked if I was signed. It was not me.

“So I told my parents, and we met up with him a couple of times and we felt like the vibe was right.”

Crawford told AllHipHop, “My gift for spotting talent put Erica Banks on my radar, and I knew I wanted her to be a part of what we’re building at 1501 Certified Entertainment.”

What is Erica Banks known for?

Banks gained popularity when her song Buss It went viral on TikTok – something she said surprised her.

Speaking to Grammy Awards, Banks said she didn’t have much faith in the song, but when fans started clamoring for the song, she changed her mind.

“When I saw how my fan base reacted, I loved it. It became my favorite song. I saw the effect it had on people and why people liked it,” Banks told the outlet.

She continued, “At first I thought, ‘I can do better.’ But once my fans started loving it so much, I felt like I was overthinking it. I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be.”

After the song came out in 2020, fans responded with the Buss It Challenge, which featured Nelly’s 2002 hit Hot in Herre.

The TikTok video shows a person in civilian clothes while the song is played by Nelly, but when Banks takes over the song, the video switches to a video of the person in club clothes.

The challenge took off and now has 3.6 million videos on the social media platform.

2

What other music has Erica Banks produced?

Since bursting into the spotlight, Banks has produced other hit singles including On They Neck, Desiigner, Booty Control and Slim Waist.

She got her first Billboard Top 100 status for her song Buss It, and Banks told DJ Booth she aspires to be the best.

“I want to be known as one of the greatest artists to come and I want to be able to make my mark on the world,” she said.

“I want people to know that Erica Banks is a fun girl who can make me feel good when I turn on the music and give me confidence.

“People keep telling me that my music gives them confidence and I want to keep that.”

Banks released her latest album, Flow Queen, on June 17, 2022 and said she intended to show confidence with the album.

Acknowledging she’s received backlash for her confidence, she told AllHipHop, “I feel like people are reacting the way they do because the world is just sensitive in 2022, but I always get confident be and always believe it’s me. I’m the best at what I do because that’s how I feel.”

She said that when she was trying to choose the title for her album Flow Queen, she noticed that fans would say, “Her favorite thing is my flow.

“…So I was whatever I can call myself, including the word flow, and I was like ‘flow queen,’ and it stuck.”