6.24.24

EP: Lay Bankz – Freshman Grad.

The Philly-born Rapper and 2024 XXL Freshman Class Pick Drops 3 New Tracks Following Acclaimed After 7 Project

Critical Praise:

“Most Necessary Artists to Watch” – Spotify

“Between her live performance abilities, her ear for melody, her innate understanding of how to most effectively use the Internet … Bankz has collected practically every infinity stone necessary to ensure that she’s ‘here for a good time and a long time.’” –Billboard

“13 Female Rappers To Watch” – REVOLT

“24 Rappers To Watch in 2024” – Complex

“Of all the artists this year trying to infuse the bounce of East Coast club into pop hits, Lay Bankz might have the most seamless style. The 18-year-old’s songs with producer Jumbo Beats are sleek and tasteful—her voice has an elegant, almost synthetic quality that gives her busy instrumentals a smooth finish—but tap into the underlying momentum of 2022’s viral club music…Bankz’ freewheeling writing style and urgent club production add dimension to her point of view, capturing the rush of conflicting emotions behind her poised exterior.” – Pitchfork

“And on the feverish ‘Na Na Na,’ Lay Bankz reminds everyone she’s a better rapper than just about everyone else hopping on club beats.” – The FADER

“Updating the romantic desperation of old-school R&B with new-age toxicity, Lay Bankz is becoming the go-to feature for up-and-coming rap artists who need a silky verse to balance their frenetic flows on racing beats.” – Okayplayer

“A triple-threat powerhouse, Lay Bankz weaves spellbinding melodies as a singer, rapper, and dancer, captivating audiences with her dynamic artistry.” – Lyrical Lemonade

The EP:

In little under a year, 20-year-old powerhouse Lay Bankz has taken TikTok’s ‘For You’ page by storm with her catchy, club-ready bangers like “Ick” and the zippy Billboard-charting hit “Tell Ur Girlfriend.” Recently named one of the new members of XXL’s 2024 Freshman Class and earning a co-sign from Latto, Lay is cementing herself as an artist to watch in the hip-hop landscape, sharing her new Freshman Grad. EP to celebrate her latest milestone.

The dancer-turned-hitmaker taps into the support from fans that date back to her earliest TikTok days and transforms that energy to flex on her opps by switching up her sound and showcasing her ability to perform amongst the biggest players in the game. Bankz states, “Freshman Grad. EP is a statement piece that I’m still me, brash, raw and still original. I’m doing everything I said I would. Now it’s time to graduate to the next phase of leveling up.”

Stepping away from her signature club melodies, Freshman Grad. is enveloped in trap beats paired with gritty acoustics which she uses to flex her lyrical muscles either through rapid fire flow or RnB vocal deliveries. Lay Bankz showcases her versatility, proving she’s not only a TikTok-viral sensation but a star in the making. Composed of 3 new tracks, Freshman Grad. EP is an ultra-confident body of work that offers 3 reasons why Lay is the talk of the town. Lay puts her lyrical skills on full display with the new release, delivering self-affirming rhymes as she enjoys the fruits of her labor and indulges in her desire for more success. The EP opener “B’s inna club” finds Lay in celebratory mode as she hits the club with her homegirls, reminding herself that she’s only getting started. The electric-guitar led “Temp Check” follows up with even more intense energy as Lay delivers spitfire bars, making it clear that she’s the hottest female rapper coming out of Philly: “I’m the only b**** running my city/If you say that it’s up, get with me/They be capping on raps, no kizzy.” The closing “AND DID” oozes pure confidence – Lay affirms that she is comfortable in her skin and confirms that being herself is the major key to her success.

The new EP arrives on the heels of Lay’s recent After 7 project, her first-full length project which earned praise from BET, VIBE, Rap-Up, and more. Boasting 205 million streams to date, After 7 is home to the nostalgia-inducing song of the summer contender “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” which spent multiple weeks at #1 on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50 chart and soared to #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. To date, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” boasts over 201 million global streams and over 9 million total TikTok creations, along with recently cracking the Top 30 on Urban radio and featured as one of UPROXX’s Best Songs of 2024 so far. Including a feature from rapper BEAM on “how could you,” After 7 is out everywhere via Artist Partner Group, Inc.

2024 continues to be a fruitful year for Lay Bankz – in the first half of the year, she was named Spotify’s Most Necessary Artists To Watch for 2024, placed on Complex‘s list of Rappers To Watch in 2024, REVOLT’s 13 Female Rappers to Watch in 2024 and YouTube’s Fifty Deep Music Class of 2024, and walked the Red Carpet at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Additionally, Billboard named her a 21 Under 21 honoree and May’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month. Check out Lay’s latest interview with PEOPLE, where she discusses After 7, popularizing the Philly club sound, and her journey from TikTok darling to bonafide hitmaker.

Stream Freshman Grad. EP: https://laybankz.lnk.to/FreshmanGrad

Freshman Grad. EP Tracklist:

B’s inna club
Temp Check
AND DID

Photo credit: Jade Tiffany

Please contact Michelle or T’Keyah for more info.

The Background:

Lay Bankz is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter and dancer hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Growing up she was influenced by musical greats such as Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Aaliyah, and Bruno Mars that helped to create her unique and vibrant sound. She effortlessly fuses club and R&B music by incorporating high energy Club beats coupled with her hard-hitting and electric dances. With her vibrant personality she has amassed 3.8M+ followers on TikTok with 134M likes and 1M followers on Instagram. A rising star, Lay is poised to take the music industry by storm.

Lay Bankz first emerged onto the scene as a dancer, gaining a following on social media with her energetic interpretations of regional dance moves, like the “blick.” When she built a large enough platform, she showed the world her true talent with the viral hit “Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick),” a club and R&B hybrid that generated nearly 450k creations on TikTok. The success of “Doo Doo Blick” established Bankz as a bonafide TikTok phenomenon–with over 2.4 million followers and 88 million likes–and one of the most sought-after talents in the club scene–she showed off her chops on “PIANO,” a highlight from Bandmanrill’s debut album, and got a call from Ciara, who recruited Lay Bankz to appear on the “Dance Mix” of her new single “Da Girls.” Videos of Lay dancing with Ciara generated over 1 million combined views on TikTok. Lay earned critical acclaim from Pitchfork for her seamless club-n-b single “In My Bag,” and showed off her bars in a a performance with On The Radar. She was mentioned by Complex as a Philly artist on the rise in their list of The Best Rap Cities Right Now.

With viral hits like “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” “Na Na Na,” and “Ick” under her belt, Lay Bankz is one of the most promising talents of her generation. Stay tuned for much more.