1501 Certified Entertainment recording artist Erica Banks, a rising hip-hop star known for her fun club anthems and relatable lyrics, has quickly captivated fans all over the world with her infectious beats, standout aggressive bars, and catchy hooks. But, as with any artist, her journey to the top has not been without its challenges.
A consistent topic that has attracted an insurmountable amount of attention on social media in relation to Banks since her rise to fame has been the comparisons to fellow rappers Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion. However, Banks takes it all in stride, viewing the comparisons as a compliment rather than a source of frustration. When it comes to her music, Banks seamlessly draws inspiration from her own experiences and the world around her. She admits that not every song comes easy, but she remains dedicated to the craft and puts in the work necessary to create something special each time.
Banks’ latest release is “Aint Got Time,” which has pulled in over 325K Spotify streams since dropping in April. Meanwhile, the official video is closing in on 800K YouTube views, and an “Aint Got Time” lyric video was released just a few days ago.
In an exclusive interview, Banks sat down with us here at HipHopCanada to talk about music, her come up and the struggles she’s faced in the music industry, from understanding its inner dealings to learning the art of patience. Despite having faced those obstacles, she remains focused on creating music that speaks to everyone while also staying true to herself. Check out our interview with the 1501 star below.
Q&A: Erica Banks
HipHopCanada: Our first question for you would be, for all those here in Canada who might not have heard your music yet, who is Erica Banks?
EB: So, Erica Banks is this edgy, super fun club girl. My first hit song, obviously, was Bussin. It was a club record. We followed up with “Toot That“, and I now have “Aint Got Time” coming out. So when I think of myself, I like to think of fun music, but also music that everybody can listen to.
HipHopCanada: What have been some of your biggest challenges in the music industry to overcome?
EB: It’s a few things. The biggest thing would be just understanding the industry for what it really is. I know a lot of us come into it with this idea of what we think it should be, and it’s typically not what you expect. So that’s probably the biggest thing. The only other thing I would say is patience. It’s been very hard for me in general to just be patient with everything because you just never know how things are going to work out, so sometimes it’s best to just wait a little bit longer for things to happen for you. So those would be the biggest two things.
HipHopCanada: Speaking of patience, do you get overly frustrated when you hear the Nicki or Megan comparisons, and is that something that frustrates you, or do you just take it on the chin as “it is what it is”?
EB: I really just take it for what it is. You know, it has been like the biggest thing in my career since I came out. So it’s something that I’m pretty used to at this point. And it’s not even something that I just get upset at; you know, I look at it as a great thing, being compared to those two. So, I think it’s a great thing, but I mean, other people may look at it differently, but I don’t really take it hard.
HipHopCanada: Switching gears a little bit here. Let’s talk about the music. What was the inspiration behind your last project, Diary of a Flow Queen?
EB: Diary of the Flow Queen I was really just, you know, self-inspired with just everything I had going on in life and me kind of growing into my sound and finding my sound. So, I just put a lot of myself into exploring my sound, you know, into making that project. And I try to do something a little different than normal.
So, there are a couple of tunes on there where I’m singing a little bit. Some are slowed down; everything isn’t just rap. Um, so like I said, I was just inspired and wanted to try something new, and everybody liked it, so it worked out.
HipHopCanada: What was your favorite record on Diary of the Flow Queen?
EB: It would have to be the intro, and I said the intro because I felt like I was really just giving a lot of myself right there. You know, there was a lot of transparency and clarity, and it wasn’t a club record. It was more like a genuine, heartfelt record where I think people really got to know me a little bit.
HipHopCanada: What has been your favorite part of the come-up?
EB: Just growth. Me being able to just grow as a person, grow as an artist, and, you know, still explore myself, every time I record a song, it’s like, “Oh, I didn’t know I could do that,” or, “Oh, I didn’t know I liked this sound.” So, just being able to grow and see my growth over time.
HipHopCanada: Now I know you’ve been asked about your ex, Finese2tymes, a few times now. But the only question that we have about that is, how did that split from him affect your music? Would you say that it slowed you down momentarily, or did it push you to go harder?
EB: Neither one. I mean, with or without that situation, I was still going to be who I am. I’m still going to put out my music, and it’s still going to do well. So I can definitely say it had no effect on my music whatsoever.
That’s good to hear because a lot of artists would be somewhat affected by things like that, plus the media attention afterwards. What advice can you give to any young female artists coming up in the music industry who are trying to follow in your footsteps and breakthrough?
EB: I would just say to be consistent. Be yourself and be patient. Those are always my top three things, especially the being patient part and the consistency. I feel like the more consistent you are, the more it’s kind of in people’s faces. So at some point, you know, the world will start to evolve, and it’ll all fall into place for you.
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