Ms Banks has been knocking at the door of success for some time. Now, it feels like her moment is around the corner.

The London rapper has had a passion for rapping since the ripe age of 12. In 2014, she released her first mixtape, Once Upon A Grind. This was followed by her first EP, New Chapter EP, in 2016. UK rap fans began noticing her talent on the "Uno My Style" remix with Stefflon Don and tracks like "The Get Back."

Creating an unapologetic presence and challenging the male-dominated rap industry, Ms Banks really started to make an impact in the following years. By the time her debut album, The Coldest Winter Ever, had dropped in 2018, the South London rapper had already caught the eyes of some of the rappers she admires. Nicki Minaj was so impressed by Ms Banks that she tweeted out some of her bars in 2017. A few years later, Ms Banks was supporting Nicki Minaj on tour.

Ms Banks has a proven versatility, which is key for any star in the making. Although her biggest strength in her musical skills is her rapping, she’s shown she can ably sing hooks with her track "Back It Up." Her collaborations are only attracting more and more high-profile artists. Just recently, she hopped on Tinashe’s track, "Die A Little." If 2019 has been a big year for the UK rapper, fans can only wait to see what she has in store for 2020.

Get to know Ms Banks a little better in this week’s edition of The Break. 

Age: 25

Hometown: London

I grew up listening to: Lil Kim, Estelle, Ms. Dynamite and Foxy Brown. They inspired me because they were strong females and they looked like me. They were relatable.”

My style’s been compared to: “Not really anyone. I do sometimes get Nicki Minaj on a small scale.” 

My standout records to date have been: "‘Day Ones,’ ‘Snack’ and ‘Back It Up.'"

My most slept-on song is: “I’ve got a song called ‘Hood Bitch’. I just think the people weren’t ready when I dropped it. They didn’t know I was ready to level up. But I think they understand now.”

My standout moments to date have been: “One of them that was quite early on in my career was when I collaborated with Tinie Tempah on his mixtape Junk Food. And there’s a song called ‘Been the Man’ with me, JME and Stormzy. Then a lot of the highlights of my career took place this year, like touring with Nicki Minaj, doing the remix with Little Mix on ‘Woman Like Me’, performing at the Brits. I did a whole Nike campaign, which was a big deal for me. I also did a campaign with the brand PrettyLittleThing. They were all big moments for me this year.”

Most people don’t know: “I’m really shy sometimes. I handle it in the spotlight by learning to take everything in its stride, enjoying moments. Out of gratitude, I now know how to handle it, so I just live in the moment and be grateful for the opportunities I get.”

I’m going to blow up because: “I have a message and I like to think my music is standout, and it’s different from the rest.”

 I’m going to be the next: “Big thing.”

Follow Ms Banks on Instagram and Twitter.

Standouts:

“Snack”

“Back It Up”

“Day Ones”

“Come Thru”

See the Rappers We Lost in the 2010s

More From 105.1 The Block