The Break Presents – Lay Bankz

Lay Bankz is the type of talent that doesn’t come around very often. At 19 years old, the Philadelphia native has the ability to rap, sing, dance, write songs and entertain at a level far beyond her years.

She always had an affinity for music coming up in the City of Brotherly Love. Singing and playing musical instruments as a child were some of her early entries into the space. Lay was also surrounded by the sounds of Philly mainstays like Beanie Sigel and Freeway, which led to her writing her first raps at age 10. At the same time, popular dance crews such as the Dollarboyz introduced Lay Bankz to the city's infectious brand of party music and its associated dance style.

By the time she turned 15, the enthusiastic multihyphenate was ready to combine all those experiences and put it on wax by recording her first-ever song "Passion." She even solidified her dedication to her craft with a tattoo commemorating the day the song was released in October of 2019.

Bankz then signed to the independent record label Artist Partner Group in 2022. With the help of producers Jumbo Sounds and Derrick Milano, she dropped the soon-to-be viral smash "Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick)" that same year along with a TikTok dance she created on her own. To date, the anti-hater anthem has been the subject of over 450,000 creations on the social media platform.

Determined not to become a one-off social media sensation, Lay came through this past August with the release of "Na Na Na." Along with being a clear summer banger, "Na Na Na," has since amassed 25.5 million streams on Spotify, and the self-created dance challenge has seen Lay Bankz included in more than 200,000 TikTok videos. Her debut EP, Now You See Me, also released in August, features tracks like "Ick," a message to young women who've faced unwanted advances, and "Flowers," a smooth ballad that was inspired by the 2022 passing of fellow Philadelphia native PnB Rock.

Here, while Lay Bankz continues to deliver club bangers and soulfully introspective songs alike, she joins XXL's The Break: Live for an in-depth interview. Lay offers her opinion on why women are dominating hip-hop and speaks on expanding her career beyond social media virality. She also talks about linking up with artists like Maiya The Don and 2Rare as well as the importance of lyricism in her music and much more.

Check out the full interview below.

Follow Lay Bankz on Spotify and Instagram

Standouts:

"Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick)"

"Na Na Na"

"Ick"

Now You See Me