Rising star and American rapper Erica Banks shot to fame when her track ‘Buss It’ went viral on video-sharing platform TikTok. Following the success of the track she signed with Warner Records in January 2021, and ‘Buss It’ was reissued as remix featuring megastar Travis Scott.

Hailing from DeSoto, Texas, Banks began rapping at high school and recorded her first songs whilst at university as a nursing student. Dropping out in her sophomore year to concentrate on a career in music proved fruitful for the young rapper, and in 2018 she dropped her debut track ‘Talk My Shit’ through SoundCloud before releasing three mixtapes – Pressure, Art of the Hustle and Cocky on Purpose. After signing to 1501 Certified Entertainment, she released her eponymous mixtape in summer 2020, which included ‘Buss It’, a dirty rap track that kicks off with a sample from American superstar Nelly’s Hot in Herre.

Almost overnight ‘Buss It’ became one of the biggest viral hits of the year thanks to the popularity of the “Buss It Challenge” on TikTok, where participants show off their outfit and makeup transformations whilst twerking to Banks’ single. The challenge resulted in 5 million TikTok videos on the platform, including clips from celebrities such as Jordyn Woods and Gabrielle Union.

Banks breakout song gave the rapper her first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, and led to her new record deal and a feature on Yella Beezy’s track ‘Star’. Currently working on new music, Banks is building on her new fame and levelling up to become a better and even bigger artist in the future.